


Undertale 3: Redemption

by RealAlex13Creations



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 32,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23180515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealAlex13Creations/pseuds/RealAlex13Creations
Summary: After finally leaving the Underground, monsters are looking forward to a new beginning, a new life, and a new start on the surface. However, adjusting to their new lives will not be as easy as they might have hoped...(Sequel to Undertale 2: Forgiven)
Kudos: 4





	1. Night Terrors

** UnderTerror 3: Revenge **

Alex sat down on a bench in his hometown park, staring out across large grassy area. He watched as Jasmine played with their friends, the monsters: Undyne, Asriel, Alphys, the monster kid, Asgore, Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Mettaton, and even the Temmies.

Alex could feel his teeth grinding, his eyes felt sunken, and his face felt heavy. He watched miserably as she played with them: the monsters. Alex's head began to sink. He felt so tired, so down, so ready to close his eyes; and yet, he was afraid to.

Alex looked up at the yellow-orange sky...

Acidic. Sulfuric. Disgusting.

He turned to his right to look at the tall mountains in the distance. They looked flat and fake to him. As he stared at the peak, he noticed a small green vine emerging from behind it.

Alex dropped to the floor as the vine passed over his head. Being the only one who saw it, he was the only one who wasn't run through by it. Alex stood up, looking back towards the mountains in shock.

_"KAHAAHAHEAHAHAHAHA!!!"_

Climbing over the mountain, Omega Flowey revealed himself. He was gigantic; his TV-screen face alone stood about the same size as the mountain. He grinned down at Alex with sadistic lust in his eyes.

"Run." He growled.

Alex turned and ran for his life, scrambling in utter terror. He didn't dare cry for help. No one would be able to help him. Vines circled around him, looking for their opportunity to pierce through him too. Alex dove through them desperately, using the monkey bars of a nearby playground to swing over thorny vines trying to sweep out his legs.

The scene shifted.

Alex found himself standing with his back against a brick wall. Flowey was normal again, planted in the grass before him. He cackled as he shot volleys of friendship pellets at him. Alex jumped side to side to dodge them.

"Kahaha! Dance, boy, dance!" Flowey laughed in an altered voice.

The scene shifted.

Alex found himself in his old high school running through the empty halls to escape the bloodthirsty vines chasing after him. One crept up to Alex's left, slamming into his side and knocking him into the lockers. He felt thorns sink into his side.

"I'm in control now. You'll never escape." Flowey's voice growled.

The scene shifted.

Alex burst out through the front doors of the school. He barely made it out of the building before it was crushed into a ball behind him. Alex made a break out onto the road. Flowey towered over the wreckage of the school, picking up huge chunks and throwing them at Alex.

As Alex sidestepped the rubble, he clutched his side again to feel his wounds, but they were now missing...

He jumped over a vine creeping at his feet to trip him, and then ducked under yet another vine aiming for his head. He leaped between two more still going for his knees and his neck.

"How long do you think you can survive my game?" Flowey taunted. Alex huffed tiredly.

He looked to his right, and he could see a sewage ditch dipping underneath an upcoming intersection.

The scene shifted.

Alex found himself in his childhood neighborhood. He was running towards his home. Flowey was just behind him, shooting vines and pellets and throwing chunks of nearby houses at him. Alex jumped from side to side, zigzagging and twisting his body in a frantic attempt to stay alive.

Vines crept up underneath him and wrapped around his feet...

The scene shifted.

Now Alex was in the wishing room full of Echo Flowers. He ran through the starry dust filling the air. The Echo Flowers taunted him with a deafening cacophony of messages from Flowey all threatening different ways he intended to kill him.

Alex clasped his hands over his ears, but he could still hear the voices in his head.

The Echo Flowers all became Flowey; a multitude of them. They all cackled at him, and the ringing in his head became louder and louder, and more painful. He fell to his hands and knees, crying out in pain, screaming out in agony.

The scene shifted.

Now Alex was in the darkness of the drainage ditch under the road, hiding from Flowey.

"Where are you, Alex? Are you hiding? Come out and Play." Flowey doted mockingly. His huge eye peered through the tunnel, lighting it up in red. Alex kept his back against the wall. Flowey checked the other opening into the tunnel.

"Don't be shy, friend." Flowey giggled.

Alex stayed pressed up against the wall, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to control his breathing and stayed quiet. He was trying to pray, but his thoughts were so clouded that he couldn't focus. He could feel vines creeping up on his feet again...

The scene shifted.

Alex plummeted from the sky, now thousands of feet in the air. Omega Flowey was above him cackling again. His size was incomprehensibly large in comparison to Alex. Its face shifted its image to a demented black and white scratched up screen displaying Alex himself, taunting him with a rapid, dizzying flurry of expressions.

Alex continued to fight and defend himself, kicking away vines and bombs while dodging Flowey's friendship pellets.

"Determination is gone now. You'll never escape me up here." Flowey growled lowly. Alex kept fighting it, but his body grew sorer and number the more he resisted. A vine hit Alex's foot, making him spin wildly.

The ground rose to meet him...

***

Alex screamed out loudly, his eyes opening wide. His vision was faulty and blurry, dry and irritated. He struggled and seized to get his arms and legs up, but his hands and feet were tied down by straps. His head was also in a restraint across his forehead. His back arched again and again as he tried to free himself.

Blurs in white coats and blue clothes poured into the room, and he soon felt hands pushing his limbs down to keep him still. He hated that feeling.

"Get your hands off of me! Get off of me! Get off! Get off!" He screamed in a rabid growl at the top of his lungs. He felt a needle enter his right arm, and his blurry vision darkened...


	2. Diagnosis

Jasmine looked into Alex's hospital room. Several days had passed now since he had been brought in. Treating him seemed to be getting only harder and harder, since he kept attacking the doctors.

She couldn't calm herself down. She was so overcome with worry that she had hardly slept or ate. However, she had agreed to meet with the hospital psychiatrist: Dr. Charleston.

"Please tell me what's wrong." Jasmine begged, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She'd been crying constantly for these past few days.

"Do you want me to give it to you straight?" Dr. Charleston asked in a soft tone. Jasmine nodded, trying not to sob.

"Based on this behavior that I've seen, it seems that Alexander has severe PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Now, normally you see this in soldiers that come back in deployment or sufferers of terrible experiences or crimes. Does anyone else in his family suffer from PTSD?"

"Ye-yeah, his father does." She answered with a nod.

"Uhuh. Well, PTSD is by no means hereditary, but offspring tend to be viable to the same pitfalls as their parents. We've been keeping Alex medicated these past few days, and he seems to be calming down.

"Once he's in better condition to go home, I'm prescribing some medication to help him sleep, and some medication to help calm his nerves. He'll need to take it with water after dinner before going to sleep," Dr. Charleston instructed. Jasmine nodded in understanding.

"And how are you feeling?" He asked her. Jasmine stuttered a bit as she tried to respond.

"Ah-uh-I-I don't even know. I'm just at a loss for words. He deserves so much better than this." Jasmine sobbed a bit, shaking her head. Dr. Charleston nodded in understanding.

"Do you know what might have triggered this?" He asked. Hand over her mouth, Jasmine winced and nodded.

"Would you like to share?" He asked next. Jasmine shook her head.

"That's fine, you don't have to now. I should let you know that what I'm prescribing should help manage his symptoms some. What'll further assist his recovery is your support, and the support of his friends and family.

"Most suffering from PTSD respond well to engaging in activities that they enjoy, staying busy, and generally being in a positive and upbuilding environment. Please exercise caution though, as he seems to still be quite on edge.

"From what I've observed, all it could take is a noise or an image for him the flip to switch. I would highly recommend going over some practical measures in advance," Dr. Charleston explained. Jasmine nodded again in understanding, wiping away more tears as she took all of this in.

"Here's my card. It has my email and phone number on it. If you have any problems or questions or concerns, or you and Alex just need someone to talk to, then please, give me a call." He invited.

"Thank you, Doctor." Jasmine said, sliding the card into her purse. As Dr. Charleston began to walk away, he motioned her over.

"It looks like he's awake if you want to see him."

Jasmine immediately stood up and entered Alex's room. There he was in his white hospital gown, staring at the off TV screen. His eyelids were half closed, and his eyes looked sunken and sleep-deprived. He turned his head to look at her.

Upon seeing her, a tired smile crept onto his face. She smiled a bit in relief, sitting down by his head and taking his hand.

"You've been crying." Alex said quietly, calm but concerned for her. Jasmine nodded.

"Yeah, I still am." She admitted. Alex sighed a bit.

"What'd the doctors say?"

"They...diagnosed you with PTSD. They say it's pretty severe." Jasmine relayed.

"Oh..." Alex said, squinting a bit. "I guess that makes sense? What's the, uh, treatment plan?"

"The doctor prescribed some meds to help you sleep and manage the stress part." Jasmine explained. Alex nodded quietly, running his thumb over Jasmine's hand.

"It's okay. We'll manage together, like we always do." Alex said, doing his best to be reassuring towards her. She nodded, laying her head down on his hand.

"I know..." She said softly. There was some silence between them.

"Do the others know?" He asked suddenly. Jasmine sat up a bit, fixing her hair and shaking her head.

"No, I haven't contacted anyone yet, and our new friends can't exactly...walk in." She said.

"Right." Alex hummed. He squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"I love you." She said to him.

"I love you too." He immediately said in return.

Not knowing anything else he could do or say, he laid his head back. His eyes began to wander over to the window, where a single sunflower had been set on the windowsill. He began to stare at it, and Jasmine soon caught notice of it too.

"I'll have the nurses get rid of it." She said, beginning to stand up.

"No no, it's fine. Stay." Alex said quickly. Jasmine exhaled a bit, sitting back down.

Alex's mind began to run back to the day they had escaped the Underground: using the SOULs to free Asriel and consequently giving Flowey his own SOUL in the process.

Alex had seen it in his tearful reaction to his Mercy. It was as if he was grateful, but also in denial of his sudden new ability to feel the human emotions he had never known before. Alex couldn't even imagine what something like that would feel like.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Alex asked her, still staring at the flower. Jasmine paused for a moment.

"Flowey, you mean?" She asked. Alex nodded again.

"Yeah, him." He said. Jasmine shrugged.

"I don't know. After all that's happened, I couldn't be less concerned with that." She answered honestly, clearly still harboring resentment. Alex swallowed a bit.

"When I separated Asriel's SOUL from Flowey, I think I gave Flowey his own SOUL on accident." Alex explained. Jasmine's eyebrows furrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he can...feel emotions now...? I'm wondering what that means. I'm not sure." Alex said.

"We can discuss that another time. Right now, I'm focused on you and how you're doing. We still have to act as ambassadors for Asgore. Earth is about to be reintroduced to a new species. I can't do that without you." Jasmine said.

"Right. That takes priority." Alex agreed. Jasmine nodded.

Though the subject didn't continue on past that, Jasmine could see that Flowey and his new SOUL was still on Alex's mind...


	3. Welcome

"I can assure all of you that monsters mean no harm. After all this time, all they want is to return to the surface and live in peace with us humans." Alex said into the microphone. He took a small half-step back to look at his audience: a panel representing the United Nations.

"As our acting ambassador, Alex speaks for our full race in his answers. Officially and personally, all we want is peace, and we have much to offer in return in terms of societal, economical, and industrial growth." Asgore continued.

The panel all briefly discussed amongst themselves before one spoke up.

"We have just one further question for you both. You've presented a well-made case for the rights of monsters. Yes, we have the authority to grant these rights.

"However, if we do, how do you propose the general public around the world will react? It'll certainly be different for them. And with what you say that monsters are capable of, how are we supposed to simply trust that monsters will keep their word and their integrity?"

Alex nodded to Asgore before answering the question:

"It's not an easy thing to stomach, I know. Fear of what monsters can do is what got them banished in the first place. Consider this please: the tendency here is to judge monsters under intense scrutiny, but is it by the same standards that we judge ourselves?

"If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want _us_ to be impartial?

"As for the world's reaction, I understand that too. Upon discovering the existence of monsters myself, I had a lot of questions too... But if history has proven anything, it's that man is fully capable of getting used to something new and strange, and eventually accepting it." Alex concluded.

The panel began to converse again. Asgore patted his hand approvingly on Alex's shoulder.

"Well said, my friend, well said." Asgore nodded. Alex kept his eyes on the panel, trying to read their expressions. It took them awhile to finish deliberating...

***

Inside Alex and Jasmine's cabin by Mount Ebott, Undyne and Alphys sat on the living room couch watching anime. They sat silently together. The pleasant atmosphere, however, was interrupted by Papyrus in the window holding a speaker over his head, blasting the intro to a song called Kiss.

"I swear... Papyrus! I'mma kill you if you keep playing that dumb song!" Undyne growled, summoning her spear and rushing out the front door of the cabin. Papyrus made a run for it, cackling away. Alphys giggled a bit, embarrassed as she was.

"He's so dead." She chuckled to herself.

Undyne burst out the door, chasing after Papyrus. She gripped her spear with both hands.

"Papyrus, come back here!" She yelled.

"I have to use the bathroom!" Papyrus yelled back, turning towards the trees and gaining speed.

"Get back here, coward!" She yelled again, chasing him past the entrance to a clearing that led to a cliff.

On the edge of the cliff, Sans was sitting comfortably with his legs dangling over the edge. He sighed peacefully, taking in the view. He swung his legs back and forth a bit, doing nothing else but enjoying the view.

Hearing the rustling of leaves behind him, he turned his head back to see who was coming towards him. It was Toriel.

"Um, Sans? Sorry to interrupt, but your brother's being chased by Undyne with a spear." She pointed behind her with her thumb. Sans simply chuckled.

"I heard. They're probably just playin'. No worries."

"Oh, okay. Mind if I sit?" She asked, walking over.

"Yeah, go ahead. The dirt's just fine." He said, patting the ground. Toriel chuckled as she sat down cross-legged near him.

"What're you up to?" Toriel asked him.

"Just enjoying the view. It's nice up here. Quiet." Sans answered.

"Indeed it is. Any reason you came here yourself?" She asked.

"Just thinkin'." Sans shrugged.

"About?"

"Stuff," He shrugged. Toriel gave him a look; she wanted him to go on. Sans chuckled again before answering.

"Well, you know... Things are different up here: no displays, no Saves, and no Resets. For a long time now, my life fully revolved around the humans that would fall. Timelines repeating again and again or being undone....

"But that doesn't happen here. I'm fully free to choose for myself what it is I want to do. I can do whatever I want, so I just need to figure out what that is." Sans explained.

"I'm sure you will." Toriel said reassuringly.

Back in the monster camp, Asriel was walking by himself. Glancing to his right, he caught sight of his mom and Sans over the by the cliff. He was about to come over to join her, but seeing whom she was with, he found it best to not interrupt. He let out a sigh and kept walking...

"Quit running!" Undyne yelled, still in pursuit.

"My physique must be maintained!" Papyrus argued, running with his speaker tucked under his arm. Jasmine, who was playing with the Temmies, noticed this and stopped them.

"Woah woah! What's going on?" Jasmine shouted.

"He keeps plaguing my life with the same song!" Undyne yelled.

"Oh my god, I've turned into my brother..." Papyrus muttered in realization as Jasmine confiscated his speaker.

"Lookies! Iz the king and Alex!" Temmie exclaimed. All of the monsters around turned to see Asgore and Alex coming up the hill. They all stopped what they were doing, waiting anxiously for the king's announcement.

"Monsters are now free to roam the surface!" Asgore announced with a loud voice and a smile. The crowd erupted into joyful cheering and applause. Asgore laughed, joining the others in celebration. Alex's hands fell behind his back, and he looked around.

He caught notice of Asriel talking to Jasmine amidst the celebration. Asriel soon caught notice of Alex and beamed at him. This gave Alex a strange feeling as his mind started to take him back in time. Asriel started towards Alex with his arms outstretched, but Alex turned to his right and disappeared into the crowd...

***

Jasmine, Mettaton, Asriel, and Napstablook all sat around the counter inside the cabin. It was nighttime over Mount Ebott now.

"Now that we monsters are free to go anywhere, I can shoot for my dreams of surface stardom!" He exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

"Maybe I'll be a DJ. Alex liked my music. Maybe others would too...?" Napstablook thought aloud. Mettaton turned his head.

"You make music now, Blooky?"

"Yeah...I do..." Napstablook answered. This was followed by an awkward silence.

"You, uh, never told me that." Mettaton chuckled awkwardly.

Asriel looked around, looking for something to bring up to make things less awkward. Instead, he found an escape: he saw Alex sitting out on the balcony by himself.

"Hey, there's Alex. I'mma see how he's doing." Asriel said, sliding off his stool.

"Uh-um-I-I don't think that's a good idea..." Jasmine stuttered quickly.

"Huh?"

"He...needs some alone time." Jasmine excused. Asriel nodded slowly, then made his way to the door.

"I'll see what's up." He said, exiting and closing the door before she could protest any further. Asriel turned around to see Alex playing on his phone.

"Hey, Alex. Uh, mind if I sit with you?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." He nodded. Asriel took a seat and cleared his throat.

"You haven't seemed like yourself lately. Is everything alright?"

"Mhmm. Everything's great." Alex answered lowly, not looking over.

"Are you sure?" Asriel prodded a bit. Alex let out a long exhale.

"I've been thinking... There's still one monster in the Underground." Alex said.

"Who??" Asriel quickly asked. Alex glanced at Asriel, giving him time to think about the answer, "You don't mean..."

"Flowey." Alex confirmed.

"He got what he deserved, didn't he? Outta sight and outta mind. That's good, isn't it?"

"I don't think he should be left alone." Alex answered, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Asriel asked, scrunching up his nose a bit.

"I... I think maybe we can help him. Turn him around, so to speak." Alex said.

"Okay? But why would even _want_ to help him? What reason do you have for that?" Asriel questioned intensely. Alex paused.

"Faith."

This gave the both of them pause. For Alex, it just made him think back to Papyrus asking him whether or not he was going to save monsterkind. With Flowey still down there, he hadn't truly fulfilled that promise.

"So...what're you gonna do?" Asriel asked. Alex gave this some thought.

"Once I feel everyone is squared away, I'm coming back here. I'll go back into the Underground and see if I can't get Flowey to come with me." He decided. Asriel shook his head at this.

"I can't let you do that. As your friend, I-"

"You're not stopping me." Alex interrupted him, standing up suddenly and going inside. Asriel shook his head and sighed.

What was going through Alex's head?


	4. Chapter 4

The sun began to rise over Mount Ebott.

Alex laid outside, not far from the camp in a hammock that he had set up between two trees. Underneath a thin canopy of branches and trees he looked to his right to see the sunrise. Tired and sweaty from his workout, he was quite comfortable.

That's when he noticed something that fascinated him:

The branches of the two trees he'd tied his hammock to were stretching over him. One tree had green leaves on its branches; the other tree had red leaves. Even though the trees had grown far apart, their branches stretched over him, linking to each other and creating a canopy of different colored leaves.

"Come on, prince! You can rest when your workout's over!" Undyne's voice broke the air. Alex lifted his head to look over, and he couldn't help but chuckle at what he saw.

Just off in the distance, there was Undyne with Asriel, Papyrus, and Alphys following her. They were all jogging in place as they came to a stop by where he was. Asriel looked sweaty, Alphys looked ready to quit, and Papyrus seemed to be keeping up with her alright.

"Little late for a workout, don't you think, Undyne? You getting lazy?" Alex teased her a bit.

"Shut your mouth or I will roll you up in that little hammock and throw you off the edge." Undyne threatened, pointing at him.

"You seem a little jealous of the hammock." Alex said with a chuckle.

"Maybe you should jump in there, Undyne." Asriel continued off of Alex's joke.

"I'll throw you after him." Undyne muttered.

"I ship it!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"No, Papyrus... Just no." Alphys stopped him.

"Mind if I borrow Asriel for a minute?" Alex asked, getting out of his hammock and fixing his shirt. Undyne nodded.

"Ugh, fine, but make it quick. We still got 6 miles."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Now who's being teased?" Undyne smirked, leading the others off again.

"What's up?" Asriel asked, walking over to Alex.

"Today's the big monster moving day. I scoped out some land not far from where I live. I wanted to let you know so you can start packing. Soon we'll all be on our way to the site for New Monster City; Asgore came up with the name." Alex informed him.

"Oh! I hadn't heard about that yet. We'll be seeing you around a lot when we're there, right?"

"For sure." Alex nodded. Asriel nodded with a smile, but it quickly grew cold as his expression hardened some.

"So...uh, about our conversation last night."

"What about it?" Alex asked

"Well, I gave it some thought, and I determined that I'm not gonna stop you. I do have one condition though." Asriel lifted a finger.

"Name it."

"Don't go alone." Asriel stipulated before giving him a quick bro-hug and rushing back to join the others again.

***

"What? He wants to go back into the Underground to look for Flowey?!" Jasmine blurted out in surprise. Asriel nodded.

"That's what he told me last night." Asriel admitted. Jasmine folded her arms and sighed.

"He never told me that." She muttered.

"I don't know how recently he made the decision to actually go." Asriel said, trying to muster up at least some defense for him.

"I'll talk to him." Jasmine said, walking away from his tent and towards the cabin. She snaked her way through the crowds, occasionally bumping into monsters and having to apologize for doing so.

"Hey, have you seen Alex? No? Okay thanks." She asked around as she walked, but everyone she asked simply shook their heads and answered no.

"Hey. Lookin' for someone?" Sans voice broke the air. Jasmine jumped aside in shock to see him walking right alongside her.

"You startled me man. Don't do that." She exhaled, pressing her hand over her heart.

"Sorry." Sans chuckled a bit. Jasmine rolled her eyes and began to relax.

"Have you seen Alex?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, Alex? The guy with the hair and the skin?" Sans asked.

"...yes." Jasmine nodded slowly.

"He said he was headed to the cabin basement. Something about teaching Mettaton some moves." Sans explained.

"Alright. I'll check there, thanks."

"I'm guessing he told you about lookin' for Flowey?" Sans presumed.

"Actually, he didn't. I just heard." She said.

"Gotcha. Didja hear that he asked me to go with him?"

"He did?" Jasmine asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Said he trusted me the most in case something goes wrong."

***

"That's a good start. Just one foot back, other foot back. It's easier to do than to explain. Just keep practicing and you'll get it," Alex said. Mettaton nodded, looking down at his feet and pausing. He rolled his ankle around a little bit, lost in thought.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...had a thought." Mettaton responded quietly.

"About?"

"Well...about Napstablook."

"Oh yeah. What's the deal there?"

"Well...so a long time ago, we were besties. Then when Alphys gave me a body and I got my shot at stardom, I...left him behind," He admitted. Jasmine entered at that moment.

"Jasmine. Hi." Mettaton greeted her.

Alex turned and smiled towards her. She smiled politely, gesturing with her head for Alex to follow her upstairs. He waved goodbye to Mettaton before they went up to the master bedroom. She closed the door behind her.

"What's up, Jazzy?" He asked her. She turned towards him.

"Don't you 'Jazzy' me, mister. I was talking to Asriel earlier today. You know what he told me?" She started right away. Alex nodded slowly, squinting a bit. "When were you planning on telling me?" She demanded, quiet but clearly unhappy.

"Tonight, once all the arrangements were made." He answered.

"So you're really going after Flowey."

"Yeah." Alex confirmed with a nod.

"And what're you gonna do when you find him?" Jasmine inquired.

"Ask him a question and offer him a choice." Alex took his time to answer her.

"Do you want to bring him to the surface?" Jasmine asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alex nodded in response.

"You owe that monster absolutely nothing. Why are you insisting on this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Alex answered simply.

"You know full well what Flowey's capable of." Jasmine pointed out.

"I'm bringing Sans." Alex reminded her.

"Why take the chance?"

"Because I just wanna make peace," Alex said with a sigh. "I'm not gonna get any of this out of my head unless I take the steps to move forward." He said. Jasmine sighed. They were silent for a bit.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Deal." Alex agreed, hugging her. She hugged him back tightly.

***

" _Look what's become of you. Your worthless pity is wasted on me, idiot. You think that I'd ever go with you anywhere? Do you take me for a fool? Nothing would make me happier than to kill you. I wouldn't even give you a second thought."_

_~~~_

Alex woke up suddenly. He was in a cold sweat again. Somehow, he'd managed to fall asleep on the balcony. He rubbed his forehead as he tried to calm down. The door to the balcony opened, and Sans walked out to see him.

"Thought I saw you out here," Sans said as he sat down by him. "It's pretty late. Sure you should still be up?" He asked Alex, leaning back in his chair.

"I wasn't. I just woke up. Nightmare." Alex answered quickly.

"I gotcha. You know what I've learned from Papyrus after so many bedtime stories?" Sans asked.

"Do tell." Alex said, sitting up a little bit.

"That nightmares only come from two places: when you're afraid of somethin', or you got somethin' on your mind," Sans listed. "What's on your mind?" He proceeded to ask him.

"Uh... Ever since my battle with Flowey, I've had nightmares about it. It's been really messing with my head." Alex explained.

"Oh..." Sans exhaled.

"Yeah. Just caught me off guard is all." Alex said, trying to deflect the thought.

"All that, and you still wanna help him?" Sans asked.

"I prefer not to hold grudges. I'd rather make peace." Alex responded with a nod. Sans shook his head, sitting up with his hands on his knees.

"You're better than me in that regard," Sans said, standing up. "Just don't be surprised when it all goes south." He said before going back inside.


	5. Returning Below

Alex and Sans stood in front of the entrance to the Underground. Alex felt it proper to put on the same clothes he had on when he'd first fallen. He'd even brought his First Aid pouch. They stared down into the dark entrance.

"Once we go in, there's no turnin' back until we find who we're looking for. You still sure about this?" Sans asked. He wanted to make sure Alex was firmly resolved. Alex nodded, still staring into the dark cavern.

"100%. Let's do this." Alex nodded.

The two of them crossed through the remains of the barrier, entering into Asgore's castle. Everything, including his throne, was dusty and covered in cobwebs. Asgore's flower garden had already begun to wilt away.

"Really let the place go." Sans commented as they walked through the corridor, which was in a similar state.

"It's nothing that a little TLC and a garden hose couldn't fix." Alex commented. Sans chuckled.

"Fire hose is more like it."

Alex and Sans reached the balcony overlooking the monster city. The wind blew solemnly over the abandoned town. Every house was closed. The city was eerie in its silence. There was a tinge of sentimental sadness in the view, seeing the life that monsters had left behind.

"I remember the city back when we were all headed to Asgore for the end. It looked livelier then." Sans said.

"Yeah, I preferred the view then too."

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, considering how things looked before then."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Back when our old pal Frisk killed everything. It was a lot like how it is now, just without the happy ending." Sans described.

Alex and Sans continued on, taking a shortcut down to the entrance of the castle, which connected to the abandoned MTT resort. The two of them walked across, not looking down at the pit of lava beneath them. They entered the decrepit hotel.

Not only was the resort in shambles, but it had been lined with rotting spider webs. The statue was a pile of pounded rumble within the dirty fountain. Alex could still see the damaged done by Muffet's Faulted pet. The place hadn't looked touched since then.

"Sans, would you mind blasting away these webs?" Alex requested. Sans did so, clearing a path for them to walk through.

They passed through the old Temmie Village. They passed by an abandoned ice cream cart. They passed Sans' old telescope, an old shop, and where Bob had died. They passed a lot of places that held a lot of memories.

Alex felt a little guilty for not giving them any thought since breaking the barrier.

"Seems like time's just flown by, hasn't it?" Sans commented.

"Yeah man. It's crazy." Alex agreed softly.

The two of them entered the silent town of Snowdin. The wind blew lightly through the town, its howls echoing off the barren homes. The only other sound that broke the air was the crunching of snow beneath their feet as they walked.

"Sans, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, for 5G." Sans replied humorously.

"I don't have any gold on me."

"I guess you got your answer then," Sans chuckled. "Go ahead. What's your question?"

"So, do you think I'm just in over my head doing this? Should I have left Flowey here?" Alex asked. Sans hummed.

"Yeah, a little bit. This is a long way to go just to give someone a second chance. I get it, I'm just worried 'bot it. You're still reeling from last time. One badly timed thing could undo everything we're tryna do here. Just be careful. Watch out." Sans warned.

Alex and Sans made their way back through Snowdin Forest now. As they walked, Alex gave all of this thought, and he could feel his spirit slowly lifting. He grew more optimistic. He was surely hopeful that things would turn out well, and that this wouldn't all be in vain.

And then he heard Flowey's voice...

"It feels colder down here than it ever has before. Or maybe it's just the first time I've noticed it..." He seemed to say aloud to himself. No answer came in reply.

Alex and Sans found Flowey facing the door into the Ruins. Scratch marks and dents lined the floor. Flowey was hunched over with his eyes closed. Alex took a step forward. Flowey perked at the sound of his foot crunching the snow.

"Ch-Chara? ...Have you finally come to collect your SOUL?" He asked. A chill rose in the air, and the wind stopped blowing. All was still. All was silent. Alex said nothing. Flowey slowly turned around.

His eyes locked with Alex's eyes.

"A-Alex?" Flowey squinted in disbelief. Sans stepped forward.

"Heya." He waved. Flowey leaned back a bit.

"What're you two doing here?" He sneered.

"We're, uh, here for you." Sans answered.

"Here...for...me?" Flowey repeated slowly, turning to one side. Alex nodded.

"To bring you-"

"To the surface." Flowey finished Alex's sentence.

"Yeah." Alex nodded. Flowey inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"Why?" He asked.

"Felt like the right thing to do." Alex answered simply, stepping forward.

"Pheh. 'The right thing'. The right thing would've been to just leave me alone."

"Well, you can ask Jasmine, I'm not very good at that." Alex said.

"You're wasting your time." Flowey turned away. Alex sighed.

"I refuse to believe that, Flowey. I made a determination a long time ago that I wasn't gonna leave anyone behind until they had a real chance. You still need your real chance, Flowey, and I ain't gonna give up easy." Alex said. Flowey shook his head.

"What is wrong with you? It doesn't make any sense... Why don't you feel real anymore, Alex?" Flowey leaned back in conclusion. Alex kneeled down, coming face to face with Flowey.

"Flowey, I want to ask you a question. I need to know the answer before I take you to the surface. 'Kay?" Alex asked. Flowey paused, inhaling and exhaling again.

"Fine. What's your question?" Flowey asked slowly through clenched teeth.

"Do you remember them? The humans before me?" He asked. Flowey blinked a few times. It took him a long time to answer.

"I remember all of them; their faces, the things they wanted to get back to. They would always tell me when they first fell. I heard all of their stories, more or less." Flowey said, trailing off afterwards.

"Do you think about it? Knowing what it was they wanted when few else did? When no one else did? Do you feel any regret at all?" Alex asked, his questions getting more intense as he asked them. Flowey swallowed hard.

"Yes."

"Alright..." Alex nodded, standing up after a moment. He turned back to Sans. "Get it out." He requested. Sans pulled a trough out of his coat pocket.

"What're you doing?!" Flowey's eyes widened. He disappeared into the ground and reappeared some distance away. A Fight initiated, and Alex's SOUL appeared on his chest. Their surroundings darkened, and the wind picked up again.

"Liar. Liar! You don't wanna Save me, you wanna kill me! Make me suffer like you did!" Flowey growled. Alex stepped forward.

"You don't understand. I'm gonna carry to you carry you to the surface." Alex explained, holding up a flower pot. Flowey eyed it.

"You're gonna carry me in a cup?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This'll be enough room for you and your roots, with soil of course." Alex explained. Flowey cringed with doubt. Sans and Alex took another step forward. Pellets rose from behind Flowey, putting them on guard.

"Back down, Flowey." Alex ordered. Flowey's breathing got shaky. He didn't know what to do.

"If you don't trust us, we can't help you." Sans said.

After a moment, Flowey's pellets disappeared. Their surroundings normalized, and Alex's SOUL disappeared. The two of them approached Flowey, and prepared to scoop him into the flower pot.

"This is really uncomfortable." Flowey admitted.

"No difference here." Sans responded before beginning to dig into the ground underneath Flowey.

"Watch the roots." Flowey said.

Alex scooped his hands around Flowey and lifted him up from the ground carefully. His roots dangled between Alex's fingers, dirtying his hands from the cold, wet soil. Sans held the pot under Flowey. Alex paused...

He realized that in this moment, he had a choice to make. He had a chance to double back on what he'd come for. All he had to do was squeeze or pull the roots, and that would be it. It'd be so easy, and Flowey had given himself up.

His life was in his hands.

Alex gently set Flowey down in the pot, patting down the soil and scooping up some more until the pot was neatly and completely filled.

"There." Alex said conclusively.

"Thanks." Flowey said with a small sigh. Alex brushed his hands off, then picked up Flowey.

"Shall we?" Alex asked Flowey.

"I guess you're really serious about this...

"Let's do it."


	6. Chapter 6

Jasmine adjusted her rear view mirror, glancing back at Asriel, Undyne, and Papyrus in the back seat of her car. Toriel sat in the passenger seat with her hands folded in her lap.

"Don't you make me turn this car around! Quit fighting, you three!" She said.

"She started it!" Asriel pointed out.

"Whatever, you're not my mom." Undyne muttered, folding her arms. Jasmine shook her head, looking towards Toriel.

"You see what I have to deal with? It's like being in charge of my siblings all over again."

Jasmine pulled up into an empty dirt parking lot facing a vast construction site. Moving trucks had already made their way to and from the area. Monsters had already begun the building work on New Monster City. Jasmine parked, and they all got out.

"So this is it?" Undyne asked, looking around curiously.

"This is the place." Jasmine confirmed.

"Soon this dusty slice of dust will be a glorious New Monster City!" Papyrus said, standing proudly with his hands on his hips.

"It looks like Dad got the work started right away." Asriel observed.

"Let's get to work!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly, being the first to hurry ahead.

"Hey, stupid, wait up!" Undyne shouted, running after him.

"They're like a bunch of teenagers." Toriel giggled.

"Right? Come on, let's walk." Jasmine said. The three of them began to make their way forward.

"Have you gotten any word from Alex, by the way?" Asriel asked. Jasmine shook her head.

"Nothing. He sent me a text this morning when he went into the Underground, but I haven't heard anything from him since then." She answered.

"Are you worried, my child?" Toriel asked, gently brushing her hand on Asriel's back.

"Well, I haven't forgotten who he went down there for." Asriel reminded them.

"Sans and Alex can handle themselves just fine." Toriel said in a reassuring tone. Asriel tilted his head, somewhat agreeing with his mother.

"Still, I can't help but worry." Asriel shook his head.

"Alex is very stubborn when it comes to stuff like this. I think he knows what he's doing though." Jasmine added.

Toriel's attention diverted for a moment as she caught sight of Asgore. Her ex-husband was directing workers, instructing them on what to do. She pressed her lips together. She knew she'd have to go to him find out where she could be of the most help.

"Might as well get it over with." Toriel thought to herself.

"Excuse me." Toriel spoke up, departing from them. Jasmine and Asriel watched as she approached Asgore, and they began to talk. Asriel let out a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head a bit.

"I don't like seeing them like this." Asriel said to Jasmine.

"What?"

"My parents. I don't know what happened to them, but they aren't together anymore. It's like they never even loved each other." Asriel said in disapproval, staring at the both of them. Jasmine patted his back.

"Maybe you should talk to Alex about it when he gets back." Jasmine suggested.

"He wouldn't understand."

"He would actually. He went through the exact same thing with his parents." She explained. Asriel gave this some consideration, and eventually agreed.

"Okay. I'll...think about it."

"I know it isn't easy, but I think it'd be good for you. Look on the bright side too: your folks are still here for you. They want the best for you." Jasmine pointed out.

"It still isn't right." Asriel said.

"Yeah..." Jasmine agreed slowly, shaking her head and sighing a bit.

***

"And we'll have a big throne chair with red velvet cushions and armrests made of gold! And on either side, big pillars detailing the full history of monsterkind! And-and-"

"Papyrus, your suggestions are as invaluable as they are grand, but I think that something more modest would be appropriate, considering our new surroundings." Asgore said. He couldn't help but chuckle at Papyrus' grandstanding suggestions.

"Oh. Okay. Well...what about a two-story house or cottage or something?" Papyrus suggested with a mild shrug.

"That sounds nice. With my initials on the door?"

"That's so tacky though... It's perfect!"

As Asgore and Papyrus came to an agreement, Papyrus' attention diverted away from the King as he fixed his eyes on Jasmine. She was helping Toriel and Asriel set up the building of their home just down the road.

Papyrus began to make his way over, saying hello to everyone before joining Jasmine in helping to set up the frame for a wall.

"So, have you ever built a house before?" Papyrus asked after some silence. Jasmine nodded.

"Once for volunteer work. I don't think I'm too good at it though."

"I concur," Papyrus chuckled. Jasmine scoffed in amusement.

"So, uh, Jasmine... Have you gotten any word from Alex yet?" He asked finally. Jasmine shook her head again.

"No, still nothing."

"He's been gone for awhile now. I'm getting somewhat worried." Papyrus said.

"Yeah. I hope he's alright. He's got your brother with him though. If Flowey turns on them, which I wouldn't be surprised if he did, they'd be able to handle him." Jasmine said.

"How did you meet Alex?" Papyrus asked curiously.

"We went to the same high school." Jasmine answered simply.

"Ahh." Papyrus nodded. There was a silence between them as Papyrus grew lost in his thoughts.

Even though she was hiding her true feelings, she was clearly worried about Alex, as was he. However, even though there wasn't much reason to be, he felt concerned for her and her feelings. This felt odd to him, and he wasn't exactly sure what it was he was thinking.

Jasmine's focus, however, was not on her building partner. Her attention had gone down the road some, where she found Mettaton and Napstablook talking to each other while Mettaton sort of worked.

"Looks like those two are sorting their issues out." Jasmine observed, gesturing towards them.

"Heh?" Papyrus, shaken from his thoughts, looked towards where she was looking and saw them. "Ah, yes, those two... They were having issues?"

"You're as clueless as Alex sometimes." Jasmine said with a chuckle.

Jasmine made her way back towards the entrance to the site to assist Toriel, who had met with some human construction workers that had just arrived. One of them was speaking to her as she approached.

"So, like, what do you eat?" He asked Toriel.

"Hey, Toriel! How're things looking so far?" She asked. Toriel turned her head Jasmine's way and smiled a bit.

"Things are great, child. I was just wrapping up my discussion with these gentlemen about the plans for the house.

"Yes, right. The king... His name's Asgore, right?" Another worker asked.

"Yes." Jasmine nodded.

"Yeah. He, uh, paid for everything. It's gonna take a couple months to get all this work done, but it'll definitely get done soon."

"How soon can full-scale construction start?" Toriel asked. The man shrugged.

"Next week probably, once we have all of our equipment in place." He answered. They nodded.

"Alright. Let me take you to Asgore and you can fill him in too." Jasmine said, motioning for the workers to follow her.

***

Nighttime fell over the city. The monsters set up camp in a series of tents next to the construction site. Jasmine, having some room in her apartment for a guest or two, decided to take Asriel and Toriel home with her.

"This is a lovely little home you have here." Toriel commented approvingly as the three of them entered.

"Yeah, it's cozy. I like the decorations." Asriel agreed, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you. Make yourselves at home. There's food in the fridge. Are either of you alright sleeping on the couch?"

"I can." Asriel volunteered.

"You don't have too, dear."

"It's alright, mom." Asriel nodded.

"I'm beat man. Working today was so much work." Jasmine said with a breathy chuckle as she sat down on her couch. The others sat down as well, muttering in agreement.

However, before they could say anything else, Jasmine's phone began to buzz. Jasmine quickly held it up and saw that it was Alex calling her. She immediately answered it and put it on speaker.

"Hey, baby!" Jasmine greeted him excitedly. There were a few moments of breathing on the other end of the call.

"Hey, love." Alex responded.

"How're you doing?" She asked.

"...Good. We're on our way to the airport now. I'm trying to teach Sans how to drive. He's doing alright, but he's having a little trouble reaching the gas pedal." Alex filled her in.

"Oh, haha!" Sans sarcastically. Alex chuckled a bit.

"Did you accomplish your goal?" Asriel asked, not wanting to refer to said goal by name.

"Yes, he did." Flowey's voice answered.

Everyone paused, thrown off by the sudden reply. No one said a word immediately. After a few long moments, Sans cough broke the silent tension.

"Is it me, or is this an awkward silence if there ever was one?"

"Hey, Flowey. How's solitary confinement in the Underground been treating you?" Asriel asked.

"Funny. It was fine, but now that these two have given me a reason to join you all, it isn't exactly 'solitary confinement' anymore now, is it?" Flowey responded.

"What time are you three getting back?" Jasmine asked.

"Not sure yet. Depends on how soon Sans gets us to the airport and when the flights leave. It could still be a while." Alex answered.

"That's alright. Just be safe out there, alright?"

"Okay love. Talk to you later. Love you. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye."

Alex hung up the phone. Jasmine put her phone away. She and the others sat back again and relaxed. Jasmine exhaled, running her hand over her pant leg where her phone rested.

"So I guess Alex got what he wanted. Gotta say I'm surprised. I can't say if that's a good thing or not though." Asriel muttered a bit.

"What do you mean, my child?" Toriel asked, raising her eyebrow slightly. Asriel simply shrugged and folded his arms a bit.

"I just don't know yet if this is gonna go well." He said honestly.

"I know what you mean. All we can do is hope for the best." Jasmine said with a sigh.


	7. An Attack of Panic

"Tell me, Alex, what do you consider to be the most human trait? What personifies 'human nature'?"

Alex moved his fingers up and down in a wave like motion as he drove down an empty street towards the airport. It was late at night now. Sans slept in the back of the Jeep, while Flowey had been positioned in the passenger seat.

Flowey's sudden, deep question surprised Alex. After a while, he found himself unable to answer the question and simply shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Mhmm," Flowey hummed thoughtfully. "I think it's sin.

"Every human I've met has all been the same. They blind themselves with the desire to accomplish some arbitrary goal of 'doing good' only to repeatedly fail, thus they become exactly what they hate to be.

"See, monsters are a lot like that too, but I've never seen a monster eliminate an entire race. Does that seem unfair to you? It really shouldn't.

"Do you believe that you're doing the right thing? I'm sure deep down you probably feel you have that same burning desire to be 'the best of humanity', as you put it. And I'm sure you have some futile reason that compels you to stubbornly try.

"That's another trait of human nature. Stubbornness. Always pouting your lip and standing in the way of the inevitable, inescapable truths. You crave simplicity, and yet everything has to be complicated for you. To put it as simply as I can...

"Human nature is the paradox of a human's nature."

Alex took his eyes off the road to give him a look, but he had no time to process anything Flowey had said before being frightened to death by Flowey rearing his ugly face and hissing at him. This caused Alex's hands to slip off the wheel.

The car lost control and crashed in the forest...

"Individuality is a lie, Alex, especially when you're dead."

***

Alex woke up with a gasp. Sans jumped in surprise, as did Flowey. Alex gasped for air; his chest felt tight, like he could hardly breathe. His panicked hands could barely get him out of his seatbelt.

With a throbbing pain in his head and his stomach, Alex stumbled down the aisle of the airplane, grabbing onto the seats of other passengers to steady himself. Looking back, Sans quickly got up and followed him, leaving Flowey alone at his seat to wonder what was happening.

Alex stumbled to the bathroom door, clawing at the handle. He threw it open, lowering down to his knees and vomiting into the toilet.

"Hey, Alex! What happened?! Stomach bug?!" Sans asked, beginning to panic. Alex's sudden episode was terrifying to see. Alex smacked his fist against the wall, groaning weakly and sitting against it.

"Alex, I need you to tell me what's goin' on, bud." Sans said again. Alex coughed heavily a few times, and he rubbed his tearful eyes with a sigh.

He didn't respond; he just fell asleep again...

***

Standing in front of an oval-shaped baggage claim at the airport, Alex stood by himself, now much more in a right state of mind. He stared down at the moving track, watching for their suitcases while Sans and Flowey went for food.

Sans eventually returned with an arm around Flowey's pot, clutching a McDonald's bag in his other hand. He came up next to Alex and nudged him.

"Got our suitcases yet?" He asked.

"Oh yeah. See this big empty space next to me? That's our stuff." Alex answered dryly, scoffing a bit.

"Whatever." Sans chuckled.

"What is this eyesore of a machine?" Flowey asked, staring at the terminal with a bit of distaste in his expression. His mouth moved to one side in a slight sneer.

"It's a baggage claim thing. It rolls out all the suitcases from the plane and rolls them around so passengers can retrieve them." Alex explained.

"Heya, Flowey, why don't you take a ride on it?" Sans suggested, setting Flowey down on the moving track. He began to slowly move against his will.

"Hey. Hey! Sans! Where am I going?! This isn't funny! Get me off! Pick me up!" Flowey shouted. As he began to make his way around, Sans turned towards Alex.

"You still haven't answered my question," Sans reminded him. "What happened to you on the flight?" He asked again. Alex sighed a bit.

"You ever heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? PTSD. It causes all sorts of mental mess: nightmares, anti-social behavior, panic attacks...

"After my last encounter with Flowey, which...was bad, as you probably remember, I was diagnosed with it. Well, I attacked Toriel first. I-I was able to stop myself, but that episode is what landed me in the hospital not long ago." Alex revealed.

Sans inhaled and exhaled. Although he knew very little about what Alex was describing, seeing the effect it'd had on him last night made for quite a lot to process as he began to put the pieces together.

"Who, uh, knows about this?" Sans asked. Alex shook his head a bit.

"Just Jasmine and you now. I haven't spoken to Toriel since the incident, and I've been doing my best not to let the symptoms show, so I don't think anyone else thinks anything's wrong."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why aren't you telling anyone?" Sans demanded. However, they were interrupted by Flowey having come full circle on the terminal.

"Okay, hahaha. I rode the thing. Now pick me up. People keep calling me cute." Flowey demanded with a grumble.

"Just a second. We're talking about that flight attendant on our plane. I'm thinking about getting her number." Sans held a finger up.

"I hate you..." Flowey grumbled quietly as he started to make his way around again.

"If people know about this, all they'll do is worry. I don't wanna be doted on by my friends because of this. Please don't tell anyone. Besides, it'd be harder for everyone to accept Flowey if they knew, as if that were possible." Alex pleaded. Sans sighed, thinking it over before nodding.

"Fine. I won't spread the word. But you need to manage yourself better. Eventually, I'm sure you'll decide to tell everyone anyways. That's not something you can hide forever." Sans said.

"Maybe." Alex tilted his head a bit.  
"Nor should you. You know we just wanna help you. We're your friends, remember?" Sans added. Alex nodded understandingly.

"I'll think about it."

"And you should do my laundry for a month."

"No."

Once again, Flowey made his way around. He exhaled impatiently. Sans chuckled and picked him up off the terminal. Alex picked off their suitcases shortly thereafter.

"You both are jerks." Flowey griped.

"Oh shush. You enjoyed it." Alex said with a smile, poking Flowey a bit.

"No I did not. I was almost snatched up by some little girl. 'Ooh, Mommy! Look at the pretty flower!' Ugh..." Flowey rolled his eyes. Alex snickered a bit.

"Boohoo."

"We should get going. Flowey, couldja get one of the suitcases?" Sans joked.

"Hilarious." Flowey said humorlessly. The three of them began to make their way to the exit.

"Home sweet home." Alex said somewhat quietly as they walked outside...


	8. A New World

As Alex, Sans, and Flowey now started to approach New Monster City, Sans and Flowey were looking at Alex as though he were crazy. As he drove, he was nodding along to one of his songs, and it seemed very uncharacteristic to how he was.

"I can't tell if this song is more vulgar or more stupid." Flowey commented.

"Everyone's a critic." Alex chuckled, still nodding along to the beat.

"The mountains look awesome here. Reminds me of Mount Ebott." Sans commented, looking to their right and seeing the mountains.

"Right? You can see them from just about anywhere." Alex said with a smile.

"It's alright." Flowey shrugged a bit, glancing at the mountain from his spot in the pocket between the driver's seat and passenger seat.

Alex pulled the car up to the construction site and parked the car. He got out, turned, and picked Flowey up. Flowey began to look around at the construction site.

"What is this place?" Flowey asked in a low voice.

"This is New Monster City: the new home for all of monsterkind." Alex said with a dramatic undertone as they entered the city.

Flowey looked around the city, observing the monsters around them working to build new houses for themselves. Some stopped what they were doing to wave at them. Others seemed too busy to glance over.

"Alright." Flowey nodded.

"It certainly will be when it's finished!" Papyrus grinned, joining the three of them. He greeted Alex and Sans with happy hugs.

"Papyrus! We're finally back man! How've you been?" Alex asked.

"Wonderful! I have been nobly lending my incredible strength to numerous building projects here in New Monster City." Papyrus said proudly.

"Fantastic. Good for you with your dependable self." Sans chuckled.

"Yes. I also kept watch on Jasmine for you, Alex. Nyeheh." Papyrus added.

"Thank you. Where is she?" Alex asked. Papyrus pointed off one way. Alex nodded and handed off Flowey to Papyrus, "Why don't you give Flowey an enthusiastic tour of the construction site?" Alex suggested.

"Hmm... That's a wonderful idea!" Papyrus exclaimed, running off with Flowey in tow. Alex and Sans chuckled.

"You're enjoyin' messin' with Flowey, ain't ya?" Sans chuckled. Alex simply shrugged with a laugh.

"Who said anything about that?" Alex smiled before heading off towards Jasmine's direction.

Alex's smile faded away as he began to walk through the city site. The occasional monster would smile and wave and say hello to him. He would smile and wave and say hello back.

Finally, he found Jasmine sitting down and eating with the monster kid Alex had met. They both had hard hats on as they ate their sandwiches. Alex smiled and walked towards them.

"Save me anything?" Alex asked with a smile as she approached them. Jasmine grinned as she saw him, jumping up to her feet and hugging him tightly.

"You're back!" She exclaimed happily.

"Mhmm. I just got here a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact." Alex said, kissing her cheek and smiling.

"Did you bring him here?" Jasmine asked. Alex nodded.

"Papyrus is giving him a tour of the site now. I could use one too, if you don't mind." Alex said. Jasmine smiled and nodded.

"Sure. I'll show you around after lunch."

***

"And there, that wall's done now... Whew, this work think is tiring." Mettaton sighed, wiping his brow and taking a seat.

"I mean, yeah... It's work." Napstablook said.

"Well, yes, it's work, but why does work have to be so much work?" He said with a slight chuckle.

"I'd help if I could, but you know..." Napstablook said, tilting his head to one side.

"Right. Listen, Nappy, I... We haven't really talked in a while, and-"

"You don't have to apologize, Metta. I know being a star is what you wanted. I didn't wanna stand in the way of that." Napstablook said passively. Mettaton turned towards him a bit.

"That's not what I'm apologizing for. I wanted to apologize because I just kinda left you behind, and I never should've done that. You were my friend before the glitz and the glamour, and I lost sight of that. It was a terrible thing of me." Mettaton expressed his regret.

"Um..." Napstablook paused, unsure of how to respond. Mettaton sighed a bit.

"You don't have to forgive me. I just wanted you to know that I would take it all back if I could."

"I already forgave you." Napstablook said after a moment.

"You did?" Mettaton asked with some surprise.

"Yeah. I think it would be...cool if we were friends again." Napstablook said finally.

"I'd really like that." Mettaton said with a smile.

"Okay." Napstablook agreed with a nod, smiling a bit.

"So, does that mean you'll show me the fabulous music that you've made?" Mettaton asked, changing the subject to something lighter.

"I can, sure... How can you call it fabulous if you haven't...heard it yet?"

"Because you made it. You've got an ear for that sort of thing." Mettaton said with a smile.

"Mettaton! Could I borrow your presence for a moment to talk?" Papyrus asked as he came over. Mettaton stood up a bit.

"Is something wrong?" Mettaton asked.

"Um, no... I don't think so. There's just something I'd like to discuss privately, and my brother Sans is too busy... Actually, I'm not sure where he is. Regardless." Papyrus rambled a bit. Mettaton nodded, glancing back at Napstablook.

"I'll be right back, Nappy," He said before walking off with Papyrus out of earshot of any other monsters. Papyrus cleared his throat, hesitant to speak. "What's the matter, Papy?"

"Um, nyeh... So, I've been having certain...emotions that I could use some assistance in coming to an understanding about." Papyrus began, tapping his fingers together.

"Mhmm? Tell me." Mettaton encouraged. Papyrus cleared his throat again.

"Right, because that's how you'll be able to help me understand what they are. I tell you...eh...

"Do you know of this feeling where...you wish to spend more time with another person and get closer to said person, but it makes you somewhat nervous because you aren't sure what to say or do?" Papyrus began. Immediately, Mettaton's face lit up.

"Papyrus, it sounds like you have a crush." Mettaton immediately concluded.

"A-A crush? Are you- Are you certain of this? The great Papyrus has never had a crush before!" Papyrus said in surprise. This news was completely foreign to him, and he wasn't even sure how he should react to it.

"Who's the crush?" Mettaton asked with a growing grin. Papyrus shook his head.

"I'd rather not say. I'm not entirely sure that's what this is either."

"Papyrus, do you care about this person? Do you wanna spend time with this person?" Mettaton questioned further. Papyrus didn't need to give this much thought.

"Yes, I do indeed." Papyrus agreed with a nod.

"Then it's a crush, plain and simple. You should tell that person how you feel!" Mettaton advised, patting him on the back before beginning to make his way back towards the site.

"Are you certain?!" Papyrus asked again.

"Yes!" Mettaton called back. Papyrus sighed.

This presented a serious problem for him...


	9. Protest

The sun began to set over the construction site. Work was dying down for the day. Alex wiped his sweaty brow with his sleeve, finally removing his hard hat for the day. After a long day's work, he was ready to go home and get his rest.

However, his ears caught sound of something off in the distance, and his eyebrows furrowed as he walked towards the strange noise. Off in the distance, he could hear the sounds of a crowd shouting.

As he realized what he was hearing, he quickened his pace.

He reached the entrance to the city and found a crowd of protestors marching towards the site with signs that bore several different messages unwelcoming messages:

"Monsters are not welcome!"

"Invaders of our land!"

"I'm guessing that you guys aren't here to help with the building project." Alex said, stepping forward and standing between the crowd and the entrance to the city.

"Get out of the way!" Some people in the crowd shouted. Alex scoffed and shook his head.

"No. You need to start making your way back home, folks, before I call the police." Alex threatened. As he said this, Undyne came up next to him.

"What's going on here?" She asked, looking around with some confusion and a raised eyebrow.

"Protestors," Alex answered quietly before raising his voice so that all who were nearby, humans and monsters, could hear him.

"These people here feel that monsters are creatures that aren't to be trusted! They think it'd be better if monsterkind crawled back into the hole where they came from! Isn't that right?" Alex asked.

As Alex stated this, Asgore, Jasmine, and plenty of other monsters all began to gather behind Alex. They began to mutter in confusion and shock as they read the messages displayed on the protestors' signs.

"Let me make one thing clear," Alex continued. "We know our laws. We will not attack unless we are provoked. I highly suggest that you take some steps back, turn around, and go home. As ambassador for monsterkind, disrespect like this will not be tolerated." Alex said firmly.

"I think that what Alex is saying here is that we are willing to overlook this if you would please put your signs down and leave us in peace." Asgore spoke up.

"Or what, goat freak?!" One person in the crowd shouted, riling up the protestors again. Alex exhaled forcefully, starting to get worried.

Things were starting to escalate for the worse.

"Just leave us alone!" Undyne shouted, clenching her fists. She was resisting the urge to start a physical confrontation, but the more she looked at the crowd the more her rage began to seethe.

"Like he said, guys, just go home before anyone does something they'll regret." Alex repeated himself. The protestors didn't show any signs of backing down.

"You're with them! You think you're a monster too!" One of them shouted. Alex folded his arms.

"I know exactly what I am. I'm giving you one last chance to leave before I dial the police." Alex said, holding up his phone.

The protestors all began to deliberate seriously, not moving away but not getting any closer for the moment. Alex dialed 911, ready to press the call button in case something happened. As they spoke, the rest of the monsters in the city began to gather as well.

There was a silent tension in the air as they waited... Waited to see if a fight was about to start.

Finally, with some incoherent grumbling, the mob of protestors decided that the crowd of monsters was too big to provoke anymore, so they turned around and began to leave, lowering their signs as they walked off. There was a collective sigh of relief.

"That was close." Alphys sighed in relief, fixing her glasses and beginning to walk back.

"How do we know that they won't come back though?" Undyne asked, still eyeing the crowd even as they got smaller and smaller in the distance.

"We don't. Not really." Jasmine responded.

"Either way, I plan on reporting this and making sure that at the very least there's a protective eye kept on the construction site." Alex said, his phone still in hand.

"Please do. We don't want any fight to occur between any monsters and humans." Asgore said.

"I know. Unfortunately, it might happen at some point anyways. There are people that would go to war over prejudice like this. Self-defense is never my first choice, but I wouldn't sweep it off the table either." Alex advised those still gathered around.

"Yeah, if we let 'em just walk all over us, what'll stop them from tryna throw us back in the Underground?" Undyne pointed out.

"But if we answer every offense with violence, they might declare another war in the future." Toriel argued.

"We stay in the middle then; don't back down on our ideals, but agree to peaceful compromises wherever possible." Asgore said decisively.

"I think that would be the best way to go." Alex agreed.

"That was really scary though. I was worried we were gonna have to fight." Asriel said, looking out towards the crowd with furrowed eyebrows.

"Hopefully nothing that size comes again, or we might." Jasmine said, holding Flowey in her hands. Flowey, who was listening to all of this, seemed a bit indignant at what he'd just seen take place.

"I will gladly keep on the lookout tonight if it will ensure our safety!" Papyrus volunteered.

"Perhaps that would be a good precaution to take. Thank you, Papyrus." Asgore nodded gratefully. Sans glanced up at his brother.

"You sure about that, bro? It could be dangerous. Actually dangerous." Sans pointed out.

"Do not worry, Sans. If the great Papyrus catches sight of these charlatans, I will sound the alarm!" He declared.

"Um, we don't have an alarm, Papy." Mettaton pointed out.

"Then my voice shall be the alarm that rings in the night!" Papyrus decided.

"Fair enough." Toriel agreed with a breathy chuckle.

The monsters began to disband now, returning to their tents. One by one everyone left until it was just Alex and Jasmine left with Flowey still in Jasmine's hands.

"This is the world you've taken us to? One where our arrival is met with disrespectful opposition?" Flowey asked with distaste.

"It isn't all bad. I kind of expected some to react like this, especially at first. They'll come around though." Alex said confidently.

"Those people don't necessarily represent the best of humanity either," Jasmine said with a slight grumble. "But there are plenty who know better and would happily be friends with monsters." She added.

"And as a matter of fact, I'm arranging a gathering so we'll be able to meet some of them. That'll be fun." Alex said with a smile.

"A gathering?" Flowey asked.

"Yeah. I'mma have some friends over here in the site to hang out and meet the monster folk." Alex explained. Flowey hummed a bit, unsure how to feel this.

"It'll be fun, you'll see." Jasmine reassured him.

"Yeah, listen to her." Alex said with a chuckle.

"It's not like I really have a choice, is it?" Flowey asked.

"Of course you do. But we would like if you came." Alex said. Flowey paused for a moment.

"...fine."


	10. Gathering

Alex let out a relaxed sigh after had finished setting up the tables and chairs for his guests to hang out outside. He took a water bottle out of a nearby cooler and cracked it open for a sip.

"It's a little hot out today." Flowey commented from his place on the table.

"Want a sip?" Alex offered.

"Yeah." Flowey nodded.

"Bottom's up." Alex nodded, reaching over and pouring some of the cold water into the flower pot. Flowey sighed in relief as he soaked up the water.

"Ahh that hits the spot."

"Hey! Everyone's rolling in now." Jasmine informed them as she came and sat at the table with her own water bottle.

"And how about our monster friends?" Alex asked.

"On their way. They just needed a good stopping point for their building assignments." Jasmine answered. As if on cue, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and the others all began to join them at the table.

"Hey. Where are your friends?" Undyne asked lowly, sitting down and propping her feet up on the table where Flowey had been set.

"I think I see them over there." Napstablook pointed out, gesturing over to the entrance of the city. Indeed, Alex glanced over and saw a small group of humans walking in with confused expressions.

"Yep, let me go get them." Alex nodded, getting up and excusing himself from the group.

"I wonder what kinda group Alex brought over." Sans wondered aloud.

"Betcha they won't be as cool as us." Undyne said with a chuckle. Finally, Alex brought the human group over: 3 guys and 2 girls.

"Well, isn't this quite a collection of comic book characters you've brought, huh, Alex?" The guy standing nearest to Alex commented. He had green eyes and dirty blonde hair.

"Who's this dork?" Undyne asked.

"This is Kole. He's my best friend." Alex introduced him first, wrapping his free arm around Kole's shoulders. Papyrus tilted his head a bit in confusion.

"I thought I was your best friend!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"You are. Kole's just one of my other best friends." Alex said with a chuckle.

"Ah, so it's a competition, eh?" Papyrus hummed as if expecting a challenge.

"Shut your jawbone before you embarrass yourself." Flowey said to him. Kole chuckled.

"They seem entertaining." He commented.

"Good to see you again, Kole. You too, Liyah." Jasmine said with a smile, speaking to Kole and one of the two girls with dark hair.

"Thanks." Liyah smiled, looking around at the group of monsters curiously.

"Good to see you too, Jasmine. I see your trip to South America was interesting to say the least." Kole said with another smile.

"You've no idea man," Alex chuckled. He began to introduce everyone to everyone else.

"Everyone, this is my new squad: this is Sans, that's Papyrus, this is Undyne, that's Asriel, over there is Flowey the flower, and this cool dude here is Napstablook.

"New squad, this is old squad: you know Kole, that's Liyah, this is Brianna, that's Evan, and this is James." Alex introduced everyone, encouraging them to take their seats and get comfortable.

At first, things were awkwardly stagnant between the two "squads". However, as time passed and Alex got a few conversations started amongst the different people there, things began to pick up.

"I'm lovin' the hoodie and slippers look. You really got the whole 'stepping out for the Sunday paper' look down." Evan complimented Sans as he took a sip from his soda can.

"That's basically my life in a nutshell," Sans quipped with a chuckle. "Your jacket's alright too. What material is that?"

"Leather." Evan answered, popping the collar of his red leather jacket.

"I kinda like it. I only have one set of clothes. I'm thinkin' about getting some more." Sans explained. Evan nodded.

"I'll take you around." Evan offered.

"What's the story behind your eyepatch?" James asked Undyne curiously.

"I was walking through the local pharmacy, saw it, and just had to have it." Undyne answered sarcastically. James laughed at this.

"So, like, what did you do down in the Underground? What was that like?" James asked curiously, munching thoughtfully on some chips.

"Well, a lot like living up here, really, minus the sun and unending hatred of humans. It was always snowing too. There weren't really any seasons. Just snow." Undyne described.

"Sounds delightful. And you passed the time by...?"

"Well, I was captain of the Royal Guard, so I trained at my post with my spear, waiting for the day a human would come so I could pierce it through his stomach." Undyne explained casually.

"How obsessive. So...you had a monarchial government?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Cool." James chuckled.

"You know, you look like a ghost." Liyah said to Napstablook.

"Um...thanks. You look like a human...?"

"Do you eat?" Liyah asked curiously.

"Yes. I make myself modest ghost sandwiches every morning." Napstablook answered.

"What's that?"

"A sandwich that died tragically." Napstablook answered in a reserved attempt at dry humor. Liyah giggled at this, which made him smile.

"You're funny."

"Thank you." He nodded a bit.

"So what makes you Alex's best friend, heh?" Papyrus asked Kole with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, we've been friends for years. We were in, like, middle school when we first met." Kole described. Papyrus growled in slight jealousy.

"I see. Well, Alex and I met about a month ago, back when I was trying to hunt him down so we could take his SOUL. Feels like ages ago now." Papyrus sighed nostalgically, trying to match Kole's story.

"You really know how to get off on the right foot when making friends, huh, Papyrus?" Asriel asked with a chuckle.

"What about you? Sorry, what was your name?" Kole asked.

"Asriel." He answered.

"Right, Asriel. How'd you and Alex meet?" Kole asked.

"That's a long story. Well, he Saved me. He went further for me than anyone else ever has."

"Heh, sounds like Alex. He's a good friend. Super stubborn though, but in a good way."

"Would you consider yourself loyal to Alex as a friend?" Papyrus asked as if interviewing Kole.

"Most of the time, except when I'm desperately trying (and failing) to embarrass him... Stupid Mr. Cool over there." Kole grumbled jokingly before grinning again.

"You two seem a lot alike." Asriel smiled.

"We'd both agree with you." Kole concurred with a chuckle.

"You look so cute!" Brianna said to Flowey, who just sighed in an annoyed response.

"Sure." He grumbled.

"So sassy too." She commented with a chuckle.

"You don't seem to fit in with Alex's typical social circle." Flowey observed with a slight shaking of his head.

"Neither do you, Mr. Grumpy Petals." Brianna quipped, laughing a bit. Flowey just rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Never mind, now I see it."

"Hey, can we take a picture? We should totally take a picture," Brianna suggested, taking out her phone and prepping her selfie camera.

"Smile!" She said, adjusting Flowey so he'd be cropped properly into the picture.

"Why?"

"For Instagram! So the world can see your little flower face." Brianna grinned.

"Uh...okay then."

"Now smile!" She urged, "Just think of all the sexy roses that'll wanna meet you." She joked. This caught Flowey off guard, and he laughed in a manner similar to a spit take. The picture was taken mid-laugh.

This gave Flowey pause...he was surprised that she had made him laugh...

"Alex. Hey, Alex." Flowey turned and called to Alex. He looked up from his conversation.

"Yeah, Flowey? What's up?" Alex asked.

"Can I talk to you privately?" Flowey requested.

"Sure. I'll be back, guys," Alex said to the others before standing up, picking up Flowey, and walking out of earshot of the crowd.

"What's up, Flowey?"

"So... I'm not sure how to ask this..." Flowey admitted.

"Just go ahead and say what's on your mind." Alex urged him.

"Okay... Did you mean to give me a SOUL?" Flowey finally managed to ask.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"I mean did you do it on purpose?"

"Ah," Alex nodded slowly. "Not necessarily. I just split Asriel from whatever else was in there. I didn't really know what I was doing, I could just feel that there was something else inside of you other than Asriel.

"I assumed it was you and Asriel mixed together at the time, but that wouldn't make sense if you didn't have a SOUL to begin with." Alex thought aloud.

"No...but Chara did."

"Chara?"

"The first human who ever fell into the Underground." Flowey explained.

"Right. Maybe that was it then." Alex nodded.

"But...that would mean I'm living off of Chara's SOUL essence." Flowey said slowly.

"I don't know. I don't wanna think about all that. What's important to me is that you have a second chance. Don't waste it." Alex said before silently carrying Flowey back to the table.

"You know what, Kole? I think we'll be best friends after all!" Alex heard Papyrus say as they returned. This brought a smile to his face...


	11. Stirrings

Jasmine sat down at the base of Asgore's porch steps, huffing and sweaty from the construction work. Now that a human construction company had joined in the effort, building had really begun to pick up, meaning more work. Tired, Jasmine wiped the sweat from her brow and let out an exhale.

"Oh, Jasmine," Papyrus called to her, coming up behind her and handing her a bottle of cold water. "Here you are. You appear to be overheating." Papyrus offered. Jasmine took it thankfully.

"Thank you, Papyrus. Manual labor is not my thing, man. Like...yeah." Jasmine chuckled breathlessly, taking a long lasting sip of water.

"Nyeheh, of course, but you're doing a wonderful job!" He complimented her.

"Aww, thanks. So are you. Especially with lifting the heavy things." Jasmine said with a laugh.

"Yes, well, I've worked hard to train for being a member of the Guard. Of course, there is no Guard now, so I just have to settle for the blue collar construction work." Papyrus explained.

"Yep," Jasmine laughed again. "When you're not being Asgore's bodyguard, of course." Jasmine pointed out.

"Correct! Speaking of which... Where is Asgore?" Papyrus asked.

"He and Alex went to a meeting with the governor of the state... Weren't you supposed to go?" Jasmine asked.

"A meeting with a politician?! Agh!!! Neither Asgore nor Alex mentioned it to me!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"I'm sure it was just an honest mistake. Besides, you're being useful here. It's cool. Like, chill." Jasmine reassured him with some silliness in her voice.

"Right, yes, of course. I'll just ask Alex about it when he returns." Papyrus decided.

***

"I don't think these car contraptions were built for a creature of my size." Asgore commented as they climbed into Alex's car.

"There's a handle underneath to pull the seat back." Alex said as he began to drive. Asgore moved his seat back and immediately felt much more comfortable.

"Ahh, much better," He said, turning his head and looking towards the governor's office building. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"

"Yeah it did. Just another step closer to full-on integration. Crazy stuff, huh?"

"Ha, yes, you're telling me. I'm happy to see the level of progress nonetheless."

"Me too! I was a little worried, but it's good to see things are turning out alright so far." Alex admitted. Asgore nodded in agreement.

"I agree... So, Alex, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, your majesty." Alex said with a hint of irony.

"How are things between you and my son, Asriel?" Asgore asked.

"Just fine. We've been talking about hanging out sometime, things have just been busy."

"Ah, okay." Asgore nodded.

"Do you mind me asking why you ask?" Alex asked.

"Oh, it's just, you know, since everything happened, Toriel's been spending time with him while I've been busy, so I haven't had a chance to see how he's doing." Asgore explained.

"Of course. Well, he's been waiting. You know, you could always spend a day building with him." Alex suggested.

"Yes. I've been wanting to do something, I just haven't had much of a chance." Asgore said with a sigh.

"I'm sure he understands. Just show you're making the effort and things'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Asgore asked somewhat unsurely.

"I mean, you're still his dad. I'm pretty sure he'll understand." Alex reassured him.

"Of course... May I ask you another question? A more personal one?" Asgore asked slowly.

"Mhmm."

"Jasmine informed me that you went through a similar situation as Asriel...?" Asgore asked. Alex nodded, taking a moment to answer.

"Yeah, my parents divorced. I don't really know all the details of this situation. Not that I need to know, just Asriel hasn't been too open with me on it yet." Alex explained.

"You'll be there for him, won't you? A friend like you would make it much easier on him."

"Yeah, of course. And you're right. I'd be happy to help if it'll make Asriel's situation easier than mine was." Alex said. Asgore smiled and nodded, patting Alex's shoulder.

"You're a good man, Alex."

***

"Hey, Evan, what do you think of this one?" Sans asked, holding up a jacket made of rainproof material with an attached cotton hoodie; blue and gray, much like the jacket he was already wearing.

"Hmm," Evan hummed as he studied it. "It certainly makes a statement like: 'I'm here to have a good time, but don't kill my brother.'" Evan described.

"You think so? Does it, like, say that on the tag or something?" Sans asked with a humorous chuckle, inspecting the jacket again.

"Nah, I'm all about them fashion statements," Evan chuckled, looking through a store rack of trench coats. "Think they have one of these in dark gray?"

"I'm not on the clock here, don't ask me." Sans answered with a shrug.

As Evan went to flag down an employee, Sans fixed his eyes on a black leather jacket with an attached gray hoodie. He grabbed it, took it to the mirror, and traded the hoodie he always wore for this new one. He turned a bit in the mirror, sticking his hands into the coat pocket and nodding in approval.

"They don't have it." Evan said as he came back looking slightly disappointed.

"Ah well. Next time, kid. Hey, how's this look on me?" Sans asked, turning towards Evan.

"Sans, you'll cook your bones to a crisp wearing that around. It's the middle of summer!" Evan pointed out.

"Oh, but come on. It's nice! Plus, it's on sale." Sans pointed out.

"I know it's on sale, but it's not in season. It's summer, which is basically mating season for humans," Evan described, holding up a black and red sleeveless shirt. "Now this-this is what you want to be wearing this time of year." Evan advised.

"I don't know... I don't wanna show too much skin." Sans said, leaning back and raising an eyebrow.

"Well..." Evan paused, catching on to Sans' joke, "Of course. Of course you would."

"Heheh, what can I say? Sometimes, I just can't help myself. Also, I think I'mma take this jacket." Sans decided as they strolled to the selection of suits.

"And how do you plan on paying for it, Mr. Funny Bone?" Evan asked.

"With my hard earned cash, of course."

"You work?" Evan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a construction worker for New Monster City. That's my day job when I'm not skipping it to go jacket shopping." Sans answered.

"Heh, yeah. So, how do you get paid Underground?"

"Gold coins earned from not killing people." Sans answered casually.

"Kay then. Well, things are different up here on the surface obviously."

"Yeah, I noticed that. You guys don't even have a king. Humans are weird." Sans chuckled.

"You're a skeleton working construction, and we're the weird ones."

"Touché," Sans nodded. His focus drifted from the conversation as his eyes caught onto a black blazer. "What do you think about this?" He asked, taking it and holding up by the hanger.

"Very nice. Very classy." Evan said. Sans took it to the mirror and tried it on.

"Heheh, not bad. A little tight... Looks good." Sans nodded.

"Tryna look fresh for someone?" Evan asked.

"Oh yeah, I wanna impress all the femurs out there." Sans answered. Evan groaned a bit.

"Ahh you did it again. You made a pun." Evan chuckled a bit. Sans chuckled too, but stopped again as something else caught his eye.

Just down the hall from where they were, he could see a dressing room with a rack of clothes set up by the entrance. Hanging front and center on it was a child-size shirt that was a very particular light shade of blue...

"Hey kid, I have a hypothetical question for you of the not-at-all suspicious type." Sans said.

"Shoot." Evan nodded, distracted as he was looking at the price tag on a different suit jacket.

"If I wanted to look up someone here on Earth, how would I do that hypothetically?" Sans asked carefully. Evan scoffed a bit.

"Google, dawg. Google.com." Evan answered simply.

"Google...? Gotcha. Thanks...bruh." Sans nodded.

"No problem. Well, guess we better pay for this junk now." Evan decided.

"Speak for yourself. You got junk, but I got some mesmerizing merchandise for mating season." Sans bragged with a chuckle, toting his jackets over his shoulder.

"Ooh you!" Evan laughed, wagging his finger at Sans.


	12. Mindset

Alex could see a smile from the inside of his eyelids, visible only as a faded ghost in the darkness like a specter...

Alex gasped, and his entire body stiffened. He suddenly couldn't move. Hard as he fought to move his arms and legs, it was like gravity had intensified, keeping him pulled down in bed. Alex's head flinched as he tried to raise himself so he could breathe.

He was paralyzed.

As he fought to regain control of his body, his muscles quickly began to ache, and his chest felt heavier. He could feel his awareness slipping away and his body began to dull.

His eyes closed.

He suddenly found himself in a big school. He'd never been inside of it before, and yet something about it felt familiar to him. Looking around, there were students walking in and out of the front entrance.

Gradually, everything became engulfed in a crimson red hue. No one reacted; they continued to walk past Alex as if nothing had changed. Only Alex seemed to be aware of what was happening.

_"Tee hee hee..."_

Alex's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he heard the strange laugh. He looked around, but saw nothing around him. His hands began to instinctively rise defensively. A dark cloud rolled over him, giving him shade. Alex looked up into the sky and saw a bleeding red sun beating down.

As the sun began to pulsate and flash its light, the silhouette of a monstrous creature with thorny tentacles and a gigantic rectangular head was slowly drifting towards him.

Alex immediately turned around, pushing himself forward to run deeper into the school. However, he could only move in slow-motion, making the journey across the front entrance take an eternity.

Alex turned around in a painfully slow manner just in time to see a large thorny tentacle crash through the window. His body froze again. Helplessly, Alex watched as the tentacle came down over him. Glass sprayed in all directions, shards of it whizzing past his face just as slowly.

Slowly, he was pushed to the ground by the tentacle, feeling a crushing sensation in his chest as thorns sank down between his rib cage...

***

Alex gasped in shock, sitting up in bed. He began to hyperventilate, feeling the slickness of a cold wet across his body. Quickly, Jasmine was in the room and by his side, holding him. She began to shush him, lulling him and getting him to relax.

Alex, still in a state of shock, fought against his instincts and allowed himself to stay still and be held. He shut his eyes tightly, allowing himself to slowly descend into a state of relaxation. Jasmine swept her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"Shh, it's okay dear. I'm here." Jasmine said softly, resting against him. Alex growled lowly and cleared his throat, beginning to cough.

"Can I get some water please?" Alex requested. Jasmine nodded, getting up to get some.

As Jasmine left to get Alex a glass of water, Alex scratched at his scalp as he started to wake up, gaining a better control of himself again. As his mind started to bring images of his nightmare back, Alex forced himself to look at something.

He saw the clock: it was 6 minutes past 10 am. He had heavily overslept.

"Here you go, love." Jasmine said, hurrying back into the room. She handed him the glass of water. He took it and gulped it down all at once. He could feel it rushing down his throat and into his stomach.

"Thank you." Alex said in a raspy tone before clearing his throat. Jasmine nodded with a worried expression, placing her hand on him.

"You had another night terror, didn't you?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah... It wasn't as bad as some others, but still rough." Alex answered. Jasmine exhaled heavily, hesitating but finally asking the question that was on her mind.

"I know this isn't a question I should ask, and part of me hoped I'd never have to, but...what is it that you see in your nightmares?" Jasmine finally asked her question. Alex let out a long sigh. He could see that she was worried sick about him.

"I see Flowey," He answered outright. "Not potted plant Flowey, but the big thorny monster version." He explained.

"...and?"

"It...plays out a lot like it did before we broke the barrier, over and over. Different ways, there's different settings, but the outcome is pretty much always the same." Alex described.

"Oh..." Jasmine exhaled heavily. Alex nodded, his eyes falling downwards a bit. Jasmine squeezed his hand gently, then asked another question.

"Alex, why did you go back for Flowey the way you did?" She asked. Alex tilted his head a bit.

"Um... I thought it would help. I didn't wanna just abandon someone if there was a chance..." Alex trailed off, not sure how to put his feelings into words.

"It was good of you to think that way, especially when no one else would. But are you sure that it's helping you to be around him?" Jasmine asked.

"I don't know. Maybe not? I think that my nightmares have more to do with the trauma than with Flowey himself. As he is now, he's actually making progress. I don't wanna mess that up for either one of us." Alex said.

"Okay, hun. Just be careful, okay? You need to be careful what you take in when you're like this." Jasmine warned.

"You know I will be." Alex said before hugging her tightly.

***

Alex's monster friends had never really seen him on an off day before, and it wasn't something they liked. He was a lot quieter, more reserved, and he got irritated faster than usual. He kept his conversations to a minimum, and worked by himself whenever possible.

It became quickly clear that something was on his mind, and they decided to just leave him alone for the day.

As the sun began to set after another day of work, Alex was walking silently through New Monster City towards his car. As he started to reach the exit, Papyrus caught up with him and struck up a conversation.

"Hello there, Alex! I didn't see you today. I wasn't sure if you were here." He greeted him.

"Yeah, I was here. Just been kind of a 'meh' day for me. What's up, Papyrus?" Alex asked.

"Um, well, I wanted to know how your trip yesterday went, for starters!" Papyrus began.

"Trip?"

"You met with a politician?" Papyrus reminded him.

"...oh, the governor. Yeah it was fine, very diplomatic. Things ended about as well as expected. Why do you wanna know about that?"

"Well... I had intended to accompany you that day..."

"Oh. Oh! Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I'll, uh, get you next time. Promise." Alex said as they reached his car now. Papyrus tapped his hands together.

"Good. Good... There's something else, I'm afraid."

"Okay...?" Alex leaned against his car, ready to listen. Papyrus cackled nervously.

"Nyeheheh... I... You see, I was recently made aware of some...feelings that I've been having regarding a certain individual...and, well, I thought you should be the first to know."

"Why me?" Alex asked.

"Because...if this person is correct about my feelings, then...well..."

"Well?" Alex urged him to continue, starting to get a little impatient.

"I think I may have a crush on J-Jasmine." Papyrus stuttered. He waited nervously for Alex's reaction, but he did not get the reaction he expected.

Alex chuckled a bit.

"This is some kind of joke, right? Did Mettaton put you up to this? This sounds like something he'd come up with." Alex asked.

"Well, I mean, Mettaton was the one who counseled me on my feelings, but I didn't name names." Papyrus explained. Alex's slight smile began to lower.

"Are you serious...?"

"I am. But of course, we're best friends, and I would never drive such a wedge between anyone. But even I in all my greatness do not know how to handle these feelings." Papyrus explained.

"Quit kidding yourself, Papyrus. Whatever it is you think you have, bury that. I'll do you the favor of keeping this between us so you don't embarrass yourself and screw things up. You just focus on being a decent friend. That's all you're gonna get." Alex said coldly.

"Right...of course..." Papyrus said, his eyes falling to the ground. He sighed sadly.

"Get out of here." Alex said, urging him off.

"Alright..." Papyrus nodded, turning and leaving.

As Papyrus walked away, Alex shook his head a bit. He took his hands out of his pockets and got into his car, scoffing again at the very thought of how absurd the conversation was. Either way, he knew that this conversation wouldn't be coming up again...


	13. Complex Young Man

Alex entered New Monster City. After the past week, the city was starting to take real shape. Already it had gone from looking like a bunch of building projects all lined up to starting to look like a real town.

Alex turned to his left, passing by Sans and Papyrus' house. He waved to them, coming up on the foundation.

"Hey guys! You two look like you're almost done. Looks just like your old house." Alex complimented, nodding approvingly.

"Well, why mess with perfection?" Sans said with a chuckle.

"My building skills were impeccable. Sans on the other hand..."

"Details." Sans dismissed it.

"Hey, do you guys know who has Flowey today?" Alex asked.

"I believe Muffet does." Sans answered.

"Great. Thanks. See you guys!" Alex said, waving to them again before continuing on his way. They watched him leave.

"He doesn't seem to be mad at you." Sans said.

"I don't know... We haven't spoken much." Papyrus said, shaking his head a bit and sighing.

"Don't sweat it bro." Sans said confidently, although not knowing the details about what had taken place between the two of them. However, Papyrus didn't feel too reassured.

Alex turned the corner and walked up to Muffet's house, which was looking a lot simpler yet a lot more complete than most of the other houses in town. Coming up the steps, he found Flowey sitting on the front porch with a bored expression.

"Well well well, look who it is. Hey." Flowey greeted him with some irritation in his voice.

"Hey, Flowey. What's up?" Alex asked, holding his fist out to him for a fist bum. Flowey leaned back and made a face.

"Don't."

"Uhuh. So, what's up? What's got you so irritated today? Well, more than usual." Alex asked.

"I've been stuck on this porch for the past day." Flowey grumbled. Alex cringed a bit.

"Ugh, that does sound rough. Don't worry though; I'm here for you actually. You're spending the day with me and Asriel." Alex said.

"Great." Flowey said. His tone was dull, but he didn't sound opposed to the idea at all. It was anything to get away from this spot.

"Right after I pop in and say hello to Muffet." Alex said quickly before passing by Flowey.

"Augh!" Flowey groaned, making Alex laugh as he entered Muffet's house. He knocked on the door frame.

"Papyrus? Is that you with the mail?" Muffet's voice called from the kitchen deeper within the house. Alex stepped inside a bit.

"It's Alex. I came to pick up Flowey, figured I'd say a quick hello." Alex said. After a moment, Muffet stepped out of the kitchen, removing two of her gloves and giving Alex a hug.

"Oh, hello, dear! How nice of you to visit. You seem a little unwell. Would you like some water?" Muffet offered. Alex shook his head a bit.

"Nah, I'm good. How're you doing? Your home looks really good." Alex complimented.

"Thank you! The extra sets of hands puts me ahead. And the spiders have been wonderful assistants. The ones on the surface here have seemed to taken a liking to me." Muffet said.

"Well, that's good. Think you could dispatch some of those worker spiders when they're all done here? There's still a long way to go overall." Alex requested.

"Of course! I'd be happy to help." Muffet smiled at him.

"Thanks. Anyways, I'll get out of your hair. Thanks for taking care of Flowey."

"My pleasure. And thank you for coming to visit. It's sweet to know you're thinking of me." Muffet said, smiling again.

"Um...yeah, no problem. See you around," Alex said with a wave before stepping out and grabbing Flowey.

"Alright, boy, let's go grab Asriel." Alex said to him.

"Yeah, sure. What's the plan today?" Flowey asked curiously.

"We're gonna head up to the mountains a bit for some camping training. I got some materials and instruction manuals. It's gonna be interesting for sure."

"I don't see how I'll be much help with that." Flowey said right away.

"So? You'll be company. Unless you'd rather be back on Muffet's porch?" Alex offered.

"No, please no." Flowey quickly protested.

"That's the spirit." Alex said, making his way over to Toriel's house now. He found her planting some flowers in the front yard.

"Hey, Toriel." Alex smiled a bit as he greeted her. Toriel stood up and walked towards them.

"Hello, child. What brings you by today?" She asked.

"I'm looking for Asriel." Alex answered.

"Ah, well he's with his father today. You'll find him there." She pointed down the road. Alex nodded, beginning to walk.

"Alright. Thanks!"

"One moment, please, Alex." Toriel said. Alex backtracked to her.

"Yeah?"

"How're things between you and Asriel?" She asked.

"They're good. We're actually supposed to be hanging out today." Alex informed her.

"Ah, okay. Be careful out there, please. Ever since those protestors came, I've cautioned Asriel against leaving the city." Toriel explained her worry.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he's alright. We're heading up into the mountains. There's not many people there anyways." Alex reassured her. She smiled a bit.

"Alright. Well, enjoy yourself. Take pictures, please."

"I will." Alex nodded before going again. They made their way towards Asgore's house.

As he started to approach Asgore's house, he found Asriel and his father watering a row of flowers in front of the surprisingly modest house. Alex paused for a moment, watching Asriel's expressions as he lifted his head and said something to Asgore.

Asgore, standing next to his son, put a hand on his back as he responded.

"Alex?" Flowey called to him. However, Alex didn't answer. Flowey arched back to look at Alex, and saw the distant look in his eyes.

"Hey." Flowey called to him again. Alex flinched a bit and shook his head as if he'd just been surprised. He looked down at Flowey.

"Sorry, got lost in thought." Alex said.

"Are you...okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Alex nodded, proceeding to Asgore's front yard.

"Ah, Alex! Hello, my friend! I assume you're here for Asriel?" He presumed.

"I am. I hope you don't mind. We should be back by the evening." Alex promised.

"Alright. Please be careful out there." Asgore said, wrapping an arm around his son for a few moments before letting him go.

"See you soon, dad!" Asriel waved to his father before joining Alex and Flowey. They began to make their way towards the car.

"Alrighty, it's just you, me, and Flowey on this adventure into the woods. The three amigos." Alex said to Asriel.

"What does that mean?" Flowey asked.

"Three friends." Alex answered.

"Where are we headed, Alex? Got anywhere specific in mind?" Asriel asked.

"I do actually. You'll see." Alex said with a nod.

On their way out, they passed by Toriel's house again. She waved to them, and Asriel waved back. Alex raised his hand in a wave as well. His mind drifted back to the separation between Asriel's mother and father, and how he was caught in the middle.

It was a silent, sad thing to see...


	14. Moving Forward

"Are you sure this is safe?" Asriel asked unsurely, looking out the window of the car and seeing the hill leading down the mountain just below. The road was narrow and winding, making him even more uneasy. However, Alex seemed to be pretty calm.

"I've driven up and down these trails several times before. Long as there's not too many idiot drivers around, we should be fine. Well actually, it doesn't matter because I'm gonna slide into that parking space right now." Alex said as he turned to his left, sliding into a parking space cleanly.

"Well that's a relief. I don't like these roads." Asriel commented.

"Me neither man. Alright, campers, let's grab our stuff and get going," Alex said as they got out of the car. "Sit tight for a bit, Flowey." Alex said before taking out Flowey and placing him on top of the car.

"Yeah, sure, less work for me." Flowey said in response, waiting and looking around at the serene forest scenery.

"How come you decided to take Flowey along?" Asriel asked quietly as he and Alex got their packs out of the trunk.

"You'll see. It'll all be good." Alex said with a nod. Once they were ready, Alex grabbed onto Flowey again.

"See those three guys over there? I think they're staring at us." Flowey told Alex. Alex glanced that way and saw three guys talking amongst themselves. They seemed to be pointing to Flowey and Asriel occasionally.

"We're not headed that way. We'll just try to steer clear." Alex said. They turned and began to walk in the opposite direction towards a waterfall.

"It's very pretty here." Asriel said with a smile as he looked around. Alex made sure to stick close to Asriel as they passed by other people, avoiding eye contact.

"Huh? Yeah, it's beautiful. Makes you feel a little closer to the sky. At least it does for me."

"Makes me feel closer to the bugs." Flowey grumbled, shooing away flies that were trying to congregate around him. Alex chuckled a bit in understanding.

"That's why I don't go outside often." Alex chuckled.

They began to make their way up some stairs next to the waterfall. As they hiked up further, they found less and less people around them, which is what Alex had hoped for. Finally, they reached an open spot by some rock formations that had a park table set up with a fire pit not far from it.

"This looks like a good spot." Alex said with a nod, setting Flowey down on the table. Asriel rubbed his hands together.

"Alright. What's first?" Asriel asked.

"I say first let's collect some sticks and branches and other wooden items, and let's build a fire!" Alex decided with a nod. Asriel nodded.

"Cool!"

"Alright. Flowey, you're with Asriel. You two head that way, and I'll head this way." Alex said, beginning to head the way he had pointed.

"Uh, wait, hold on-"

"Meet back in a minute!" Alex said before Asriel could say anything. Asriel turned towards Flowey, and Flowey turned towards Asriel.

"Uh... I saw an overturned tree that way." Flowey said, gesturing the direction Alex had pointed. Asriel looked over, then picked up Flowey and took him on the way.

"Let me know when you see it." Asriel said. They searched for a moment in silence before Flowey saw it.

"There it is! You can strip some branches off of that!" Flowey pointed with a leaf on his stem. Asriel immediately caught sight of the tree and rushed to it, setting Flowey down on the ground to start collecting branches.

"Oh, this'll work. It's dry enough, I think. Thanks, Flowey." Asriel said quietly.

"Yeah, no problem, kid..." Flowey said awkwardly, clearing his throat. Asriel glanced at him, trying to find something to talk about.

"So, uh, what's it like being a flower? Are those leaves, like, arms or something?" Asriel asked curiously, snapping off tree branches as Flowey talked.

"Um, probably, I don't know. My stem is more my body, and the leaves are just kind of...attached?" Flowey tried to describe it.

"Those kinda sound like arms to me." Asriel chuckled.

"Maybe... AH! MONSTER!!!" Flowey shrieked suddenly. Asriel turned to see a squirrel rushing straight for Flowey. "Shoo, get away, I don't have bullets! I don't have bullets!" Flowey flailed frantically, trying to shoo the squirrel away and tipping over.

"Get out of here," Asriel used a branch to scare the squirrel away, then helped Flowey up. "You alright?"

"Thing scared the hell out of me. I'm fine, just hit my head," Flowey grumbled as he was positioned upright. "This position is so vulnerable. I hate it sometimes." He sighed. Asriel wasn't sure how to respond for that, but he could only imagine how it would be to be in Flowey's position.

***

"Alright, then we just make a little teepee like that, perfect. Ready to light the fire?" Alex asked. Asriel seemed a little surprised.

"You want me to do it?"

"Yeah, well I mean, Flowey's not gonna do it, so..." Alex said with a chuckle. Flowey just rolled his eyes again. Alex stood up and grabbed a matchbox from his bag, "Here we are. Just take one of these, drag it against this part super fast, then just toss it on the wood." Alex instructed.

"Okay," Asriel nodded, taking the match and the matchbox. He did as Alex instructed, and the matchstick ignited. "Ooh." Asriel sighed, enamored with the flame. Flowey leaned in a little closer as well.

"Throw it on the pit." Flowey urged him.

"Right!" Asriel said, tossing it gently onto the pit. Gradually they watched as the flames spread across, lighting up the wood and growing into a lively flame.

"Nicely done, team! Now, I brought marshmallows to celebrate the occasion." Alex said, taking a bag of marshmallows and three sticks out of his bag.

"Sweet!" Asriel pumped his fists gladly. Flowey eyed the marshmallows with an unfamiliar expression.

"That's a good thing, right?" Flowey asked.

"You tell me!" Alex replied, taking a marshmallow out and popping it into Flowey's mouth. He flinched in surprise, and began to chew.

"Mlaph... Ith very sthicky but sthweet." Flowey commented as he savored it, chewing thoughfully.

"That means he likes it." Alex smiled a bit, setting up a stick for Asriel to roast over the fire, and two for himself to hold.

"Thanks." Asriel smiled, walking to the fire and crouching down a bit to roast the marshmallow over the flame. Alex did the same with both of his sticks.

"So, Asriel, I did wanna ask you... How things are going with you? I know you've been real busy lately." Alex asked. Asriel's eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you know, you've been working hard on the building thing, back and forth between Asgore's house and Toriel's house. It's looked like a lot of work." Alex gave his observance.

"Right. I mean, yeah, it is quite a bit of work, but it's not too awful, just..."

"Just what?" Alex asked. Asriel hesitated to answer, but remembering Jasmine's advice, decided to speak his mind.

"It's just that... If things were different, we'd only have to be building one home, you know what I mean? It's upsetting to go back and forth, like I'm supposed to choose a side." Asriel described.

"Right, which doesn't feel fair or right, 'cause, like, how're you supposed to choose between your mom and your dad?" Alex voiced what he imagined Asriel was feeling. He nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. And I love both of my parents. They're the reason I am what I am, so, like, if I choose one over the other, then that means I'm discrediting that or I'm not really feeling like a whole." Asriel lamented, his expression showing how troubled he felt.

"Why is it that you feel you have to choose?" Alex asked curiously.

"Because they make me feel like I have to choose. I see the face my mom makes when she sees my dad, and Dad always looks disappointed when I have to go. I wanna make both of them happy, 'cause I know they've missed me." Asriel explained further, speaking with more passion.

"What is it that would make you happy?" Alex asked.

"If my parents could work things out and things could go back to how they were." Asriel answered immediately.

"Yeah, I hear you on that. Um, I think that ship has sailed though; I'll be real with you. However, do you know what you can do to make the situation better?" Alex asked.

"What?" Asriel asked, expecting Alex to give him advice.

"You tell me." Alex invited him to speak. Asriel paused for a moment.

"Well... I guess I'll just keep going back and forth and spending time with both... I can't think of anything else." Asriel answered.

"That works, that's a start. I mean, your parents clearly care about you. They've both been asking me the same questions about how you're doing. The best thing that you can do is be a son to both of them, and keep doing what you're doing. They just wanna see you succeed, man."

"I don't see how that fixes anything." Asriel said honestly.

"It's not really about fixing anything, it's just about moving forward." Alex said. Asriel nodded in understanding.

"I get that. I just can't help but think if things had gone differently, if I had been around, things wouldn't have gotten like this." Asriel lamented. Alex nodded in understanding.

"I get that. I completely understand."  
"Do you?" Asriel asked, seeming surprise.

"I do. When my parents split, I actually apologized to them, 'cause I thought I was the reason they were divorcing." Alex said, recalling the event with a humorless chuckle.

"Oh god..." Asriel said, his expression conveying his empathy. "That's a terrible thing to feel."

"It was, and I was convinced of it for a while, even though it was completely untrue. Really, my point is... It's gonna sting now, but eventually those scars are gonna fade. They don't disappear, but in your own time, I know you're gonna move forward and ya'll will be alright." Alex said with a smile.

"Thanks, Alex," Asriel said with a faint smile. "I really needed to hear that actually."

"I hope that things work out for you and your family." Flowey commented suddenly. In the moment, both of them had forgotten that he was right there silently listening the whole time.

"Uh, yeah, thanks, Flowey." Asriel nodded. Flowey nodded back, giving the most sincere face that Alex had ever seen from him.

"Hit me up anytime you wanna talk man." Alex said, coming around and wrapping an arm around Asriel's shoulder before reaching over and popping a roasted marshmallow in Flowey's mouth.

"Mah! Why woulf you do dat?!" Flowey flinched in surprise, chewing into the sticky marshmallow. Asriel giggled at this.

"Because it's delicious!" Alex said with a laugh, biting into his own marshmallow. Asriel did the same, patting Alex on the back thankfully...


	15. Interviewz

"Tems likz hooman musik!" Temmie said approvingly from the back seat of the car. Alex chuckled a bit as they pulled in front of a school building.

"Thanks, Temmie. Alright, Alphys, you set?" Alex asked.

"Uh, I don't know... I want to learn high level science on the surface, but I suddenly feel the urge to just leave...? What if I don't fit in with the other college students?" Alphys asked.

"Alphys, you're not gonna fit in either way," Alex said with a chuckle. "You'll be just fine. You're smart enough to make it through these classes. Just be yourself and you'll be fine. I mean, it's gonna be a small class probably anyways." He said reassuringly.

"Really...? Okay, I got this then!" Alphys said with more confidence. Alex smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you do. You'll see. Anyways, class is about 4 hours long, so I'll be here to pick you up at 2 pm. Call me if you get out earlier." Alex instructed.

"Got it! Thanks, Alex! I'll let you know how it goes!" Alphys said, waving to him before leaving for the school. Temmie went up to watch her leave from the window.

"Docstor is very luckz... She getzdo go to colleg before Tems..." Temmie grumbled a bit, sitting back down in her seat. Alex began to drive.

"Well, Temmie, college is an expensive place. You've been saving up for quite some time." Alex reminded her.

"Yeah yeah, long timez, long timez... That iz why Tems's going to werk! Tems will werkz, pay for colleg! Fool-proof plan!" Temmie nodded confidently.

"Yep... Are you sure that you wanna get a job, Temmie? Having a job is a big responsibility." Alex asked her to see if she was sure.

"Boss suit man say monster werkz, so Tems will werkz!" Temmie said definitively.

"Okay... We're on our way to the bank then... I feel sorry for the poor guy who's gonna have to figure this out." Alex said with a chuckle under his breath.

***

Alex parked in front of the small bank and got out of the car. Temmie hopped out of the window, dressed in business attire that Alex had found for her on a pet clothing website. Temmie followed alongside Alex and they walked into the bank.

As they made their way to the front counter, several of the older folk waiting inside turned their heads in surprise and confusion. Alex cleared his throat as he approached the lady at the counter.

"Ahem, hi, we're, uh, here for the job interview with Mr. Morrison?" Alex said to her. She glanced up at him and nodded.

"Have a seat. I'll ring him up and let him know you're here." She nodded, not seeing Temmie from her spot behind the counter.

"Thank youz!" Temmie said from below before they went and took their seats. Temmie sat down in the seat next to Alex, bouncing a bit in excitement.

"Um, sir, you can't have your...cat...in here." The lady said.

"Oh, she's, uh, not a cat. She's the one interviewing." Alex said slowly, realizing how crazy he sounded for saying it.

"Tha'z me!" Temmie said, waving her paw cheerfully. The lady's eyes widened strangely.

"So, uh, Temmie... Just act natural, be calm and friendly." Alex advised her.

"Calm! Friendz! Yes!" Temmie recounted clearly, taking this in.

"And, uh, maybe just a tad bit quieter?" Alex added, trying to hush her a bit.

"Oh ok... Calm. Friendz. Yes." Temmie whispered and nodded.

"Oh boy..." Alex exhaled.

Mr. Morrison came out at that moment, approaching Alex. Alex stood up and shook hands with him.

"Hello there, sir. I'm Mr. Morrison. You must be here for the counter job?" Mr. Morrison presumed. Alex shook his head and gestured to Temmie.

"She is."

"Hoi! I'm Temmie!" Temmie said with a grin, offering her paw out. Mr. Morrison paused for a moment, absent-mindedly shaking it.

"Nice to meet you...?"

"I thankz for opportunes, Mr. Merserser, and I hopez to werkz...for you!" Temmie said politely. Mr. Morrison cleared his throat a bit.

"This is, uh, a bit sudden... I was told to expect this when it came on the news. Okay, Temmie! Follow me to my office and we'll...talk." Mr. Morrison nodded, leading Temmie back into the office. Temmie shot Alex a grin on her way back, and he gave her a thumbs up.

Mr. Morrison opened the door for Temmie to enter his office and kept the door propped open slightly. He went around and sat in his chair, then invited Temmie to sit as well. She hopped onto one of the guest chairs and sat back comfortably.

"Alright, Temmie. So, it's pretty clear that you're from the monster race?" Mr. Morrison presumed. Temmie nodded.

"Yeah yeah!" She answered.

"Alright. Ahem, well, Temmie, why don't you tell me first a little bit about yourself? What're your goals?" Mr. Morrison asked slowly, feeling rather strange as he did so.

"Okeez! I am Temmie! Me, Tems, wantz to go to colleg. Tems pursue higher education, and be successes! Yeah yeah! Tems seek career position to responsibly earn munz for colleg tuition." Temmie explained her purpose. Mr. Morrison nodded slowly.

"Alright. I see. What sort of field are you thinking about pursuing in college?" Mr. Morrison asked. This threw Temmie off.

"Uh, f-fielde...?"

"Yeah, what do you think your major be?" Mr. Morrison asked. Temmie hummed and shook a little bit nervously.

"Ehh Engrish!" She blurted out finally.

"...okay. So, it says here on your job application that you ran your own business?" Mr. Morrison asked, looking at his computer. Temmie nodded again.

"Yeah yeah, Temmie run Tem Shop! Very successessful business venture. Tem make G's, put G's in jar, save up for colleg." Temmie explained quickly.

"Alright. So what made you decide to work at a bank?" Mr. Morrison asked.

"Simply! Tem manage munz, bank manage munz, Tem and bank haz common interest!" Temmie answered with a proud smile. Mr. Morrison hummed a bit.

"Well, you certainly have confidence... Well, Temmie, uh, let me just run you through what your job would entail here as at the front counter."

"Okeez! Tems ears wide and open." Temmie said, nodding a bit as her expression became attentive. Mr. Morrison inhaled deeply before beginning.

"So at the front desk, you'll most often spend your time dealing with our customers coming in and out. They may want to make a deposit or a withdrawal, perhaps they'll want to make adjustments to their account. You would do your best to handle those transactions and make those adjustments.

"Occasionally, we do get an irate customer who wants to take out all of their money or just cancel anything. Those are handled by the manager, but it will be important that you don't snap back at that customer." Mr. Morrison explained.

"Tem understandz. Sometimes Temmie gets in bad moodz too." Temmie said.

"Right. And of course, when the transactions take place, you'll put the money where it needs to go, whether it be in our filing system in the back or into the hands of our clients." Mr. Morrison added.

"Understood, Mr. Merserser! Job soundz...not too difficult, but challenge accept!" Temmie said. Mr. Morrison scoffed a bit, and was beginning to get a sense of how Temmie operated.

"I like the can-do attitude, Temmie, surprisingly... Let's talk scheduling."

***

Alex was playing games on his phone, waiting in the lobby for Temmie to come out. He received a text message from Alphys. She was letting him know that everything was alright, and not to worry. Alex cleared his throat a bit, looking up when he saw

Temmie making her way out.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Alex asked.

"Come! Come, we go to car first!" Temmie said, gesturing for him to follow. Alex looked a bit surprised as he and Temmie made their way outside.

"So we're done here?"

"We iz, yeah yeah!" Temmie answered, hopping into the passenger seat. Alex strapped her in, then put his own seatbelt on.

"And...? How'd it go?"

"Well..." Temmie said with a suspenseful pause before grinning.

"Tem start Monday!"

"What?! You got the job?! Great!" Alex exclaimed, truly in disbelief.

"Yeah yeah! Mr. Merserser say Tem haz good attitudes, and Monsday beginz training to be counter-Temmie!" Temmie recounted. Alex couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Alright. That's exciting! Let's go pick up Mettaton from his audition then, and we'll get a nice dinner to celebrate. Nice job." He said, offering her a fist bump. She smacked it with her paw.

"Yeah yeah!" She exclaimed happily.


	16. Tensions

Tensions were beginning to build in Papyrus.

Between this cold shoulder thing with Alex, getting forgotten by Asgore every other time he attends something important, and now, not seeing Sans for the past day and a half, he was running out of patience and positivity.

Unsure of what else to do to deal with these feelings, he decided to march up to Asgore’s house and tell him what he was feeling. So, as the sun was going down, after the building work for the day had been completed, he made his way over.

He found Asgore in front of his house tending to his garden as he was often seen doing. Papyrus mustered up a breath before opening up the gate and stepping in.

“King Asgore, I need to have a word with you.” Papyrus said. Asgore glanced up at him.

“Sure, Papyrus. Speak your mind, please.” Asgore encouraged him. Papyrus took another breath and began to speak his piece.

“As your bodyguard, I’ve grown frustrated as of late with the fact that you seem to be forgetting that I have an important role alongside you when you venture out on your political business. Is not the reason you assigned me as such so that you would be safe and protected?” Papyrus asked.

“Ah, yes,” Asgore nodded, standing straight. “I apologize for that, Papyrus. In truth, since I’ve begun my business, we’ve been making rapid progress. I’ve found that tensions weren’t as bad as I initially expected.

“Therefore, the times where I chose not to take you along with me were the days that I felt your services would be better served assisting with the building work. You’re able-bodied and capable, and that’s what a lot of us monsters need.” Asgore explained.

“What you say is true, yes, I humbly agree. However, I have a responsibility, and I have not been attending to it like I should.” Papyrus said. Asgore nodded.

“I see. If that’s the way you feel, then I will make sure that you accompany me. I do warn you though, it might be more boring than you think.”

“Boredom is of no consequence!” Papyrus declared. Asgore chuckled a bit.

“Very well. Perhaps I can charge you to keep an eye on Asriel as well? I worry more about his safety than my own. There are still some silent tensions in some humans outside of the city, and I wouldn’t want him to get hurt should one of them attempt something reckless.” Asgore requested.

“Of course, your highness! You can count on me, the Great Papyrus!” Papyrus cackled proudly. Asgore smiled and nodded.

“Very good. Does that take care of that then?” He asked.

“Very much, thank you.” Papyrus said.

“Excellent. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Rest well.” Asgore waved him off. Papyrus began to leave, waving back as he stepped out of the gate.

“You too!” He said as he left the house.

Resolving that issue with Asgore made him feel better about how things were going. However, Sans still wasn’t picking up his phone. That worried him more than anything else. He saw Alex’s car pulling in. He decided to check with him about it.

As he approached the car, he saw Temmie, Mettaton, and Alphys all getting out of the car. They waved goodbye to him as Papyrus weaved through him, waving his hands to signal Alex not to leave yet. The car engine shut off, and Alex got out.

“Hey, Papyrus. Something wrong?”

“I am not entirely sure. I’ve yet to hear from Sans as of late. It’s been nearly 31 hours since I last saw him, and he hasn’t been answering his phone.” Papyrus explained. Alex hummed a bit.

“That is kinda weird of him. Maybe he’s just gone out? He hasn’t left any messages either?” Alex asked. Papyrus shook his head.

“Not since the last time I asked Toriel. I fear that my older yet weaker brother may be in some sort of danger.” Papyrus explained. Alex chuckled a bit.

“I think Sans can still handle himself. But tell you what, if we don’t hear from him by tomorrow, I’ll check into it. See if I can’t track him down.” Alex promised, beginning to make his way back to his car.

“Why can’t you just take my feelings into account?!” Papyrus blurted out suddenly. Alex spun around in surprise, raising an eyebrow at him.

“What are you talking about, Papyrus? I just said-“

“You’ve hardly listened to me, you don’t talk to me; my brother’s life could be at stake, and all you do is chortle! You’re being a terrible friend!” Papyrus shouted at him angrily.

“Listen, Papyrus, I know I’ve been really busy lately and all, but I haven’t forgotten about you or anything.” Alex explained.

“Then how come you haven’t truly spoken to me since our _last_ conversation?” Papyrus pointed out. Alex’s eyebrows furrowed a bit, and then he realized what Papyrus was referring to.

“Are you talking about that Jasmine thing?” Alex asked.

“Yes. Yes! I am asking about that!” Papyrus confirmed.

“I’m not really mad about that at this point, dude. I mean, I appreciate the honesty, I just don’t know where your head was at when you told me that.” Alex said, shaking his head a bit.

“If you felt that I have wronged you, I will gladly do my best to make up for it for the sake of our friendship, but it has seemed to me that you would rather not even _be_ friends.” Papyrus lamented.

“Do you even know what you were talking about with Jasmine? Does it even _make sense_ to you, what you were telling me the other day?” Alex asked.

“Well…no! Mettaton gave me advice on it…” Papyrus admitted.

“Mettaton? Are you kidding?” Alex asked.

“I did my best considering my incomplete knowledge of the circumstances!” Mettaton defended himself. Alex shook his head a bit.

“Listen, Papyrus, just forget it. I’ve forgotten it. Things are fine.” Alex said, beginning to walk away again.

Again, Papyrus felt like things weren’t truly resolved, and Alex’s insistence on forgetting the conflict altogether as though it was a mistake made things even worse. In his frustration, Papyrus created a bone in his hand and threw it past Alex.

“Things are not fine! The Great Papyrus is _not_ fine!” Papyrus shouted. Alex turned around quickly, looking both shocked and on guard.

“You better watch yourself, Papyrus, before you hit my car.” Alex warned him.

“I don’t know what the issue underlying is, but clearly you are not the same good-natured SOUL that I met in the Underground, Alex.” Papyrus accused him.

“Well, what is it that you want me to say? ‘I’m sorry I didn’t take your crush on my girlfriend more seriously.’? Give me a break, man, I wasn’t threatened, I was just confused. And now I understand why it even came up. Do you even _like_ Jasmine like that?” Alex asked.

“Well… I’m not sure… Not necessarily…” Papyrus said lowly, as if unsure.

“If you’re not sure, that means it wasn’t there. Just relax.” Alex said.

“Well what about us, Alex, hmm? That still doesn’t explain how you’ve been treating me.” Papyrus pointed out. Alex shrugged.

“I haven’t been treating you _any_ differently, Papyrus, I just have stuff on my mind, and I need to take care of it.” Alex defended himself.

“And what exactly would that be? Because you haven’t shared anything with the rest of us, to my knowledge.” Papyrus continued on. Alex scoffed and shook his head.

“Because it’s not your business, man. If I wanna share something, I’ll share it.” Alex said firmly. However, Papyrus wasn’t backing down.

“Oh, it isn’t my business to be concerned about my best friend now?” He asked.

“Of course it- Look, you wanna know what’s been going on so bad? I’m dealing with _so much stress_ after what’s been going on that I have a mental disorder now: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That’s literally what it is.

“I haven’t been saying much about it because, frankly, I didn’t want to. Everyone’s got enough on their plate right now to be worrying about my state of mind. I’m taking care of it. I’ve been taking medications and-and trying to stay relaxed.

“So forgive me if I’m not exactly crying in the dirt because of something you said that I didn’t even take that seriously, because I’d rather just move past it and let things be fine then get all worked up when that is the _last_ thing I need right now!” Alex yelled.

“Oh goodness…” Papyrus said softly, looking extremely surprised and just as concerned. “Alex, why would you hold something like that back from us? From myself? Surely you must see how it’s hurting you.” He said.

“I’ll be fine, Papyrus, alright. If you wanna know, we’re still friends, but right now I just need time alone. We’ll figure everything else out tomorrow or-or some other day.” Alex sighed forcefully, getting back in his car finally and driving away…


	17. Friends

Alex pulled up to New Monster City, cutting his music off and turning off the car. He rubbed his eyes a bit tiredly as he got out of the car. After an only decent night of sleep, now he had to come back and deal with the fallout of yesterday with Papyrus, which he imagined wouldn’t go well.

It was a cloudy sky overhead as he walked into the city. Monsters had already started working, but things seemed quieter than usual today. Perhaps it was just that Alex wasn’t paying attention to any given thing. He began to look around.

He did find Papyrus first. He was by Toriel’s house talking to Asriel. They were standing by the front gate of her house. Alex waved to them as he approached. They caught notice of him, and Asriel waved him over.

“Morning, Alex.” Asriel said with a smile.

“Hey, Azzy. Hey, Pap.” Alex greeted them both with fist bumps.

“Good almost afternoon.” Papyrus greeted him.

“What’s going on today?” Alex asked. Papyrus opened up the gate to Toriel’s house, gesturing for him to go inside.

“There’s something I’d like you to see.” He said.

“Alright.” Alex said, heading inside. Asriel shuffled in next to him, patting a hand on his shoulder and opening the door for him. Alex stepped inside the nearly finished house.

Alex was led into the living room area, where he found Toriel, Jasmine, Undyne, Muffet, Alphys, Mettaton, the monster kid, and Temmie all seemingly waiting for him. Alex’s eyebrows furrowed a bit.

“What’s going on? Is this some kind of surprise?” Alex asked.

“In a way, yes. It’s mainly a: ‘Surprise! We’re all concerned about you and want you to feel better because we care about you and we’re your friends.’” Papyrus described. Alex’s stomach dropped a bit.

“What…?” Alex asked slowly.

“Papyrus told me what happened between you two. I thought it was time to bring in everyone else. As you can imagine, we’ve all been worried about you.” Jasmine explained.

“Why? I’ve been doing well. Have I done something that merits this kind of intervention?” Alex asked defensively.

“No, but you haven’t really seemed fully yourself either,” Alphys admitted. “We just want to let you know we’re all here for you.” She said.

“Yeah, dude! I may not know what’s goin’ on right now, but that doesn’t mean you’re in it on your own!” The monster kid said.

“Hooman need hug. Tem give hug.” Temmie promised, going straight up to him and standing up on two legs to be picked up. Alex picked her up and held her in his arms like a pet.

“Listen guys, this is sweet and all, but I’ll be fine, really.” Alex said to them.

“Look, dude, whether you like it or not, we’re gonna be here for you ‘cause we’re your friends. You’re not getting rid of us, so you better accept it!” Undyne said.

“I think what Undyne is eloquently trying to say is that even so, we’re going to be here for you, keeping your spirits up and being here for you whether you need it or not, because that’s what friends do.” Mettaton summarized.

“I couldn’t have really said it any better.” Jasmine said with a smile.

Alex sighed a bit, trying not to get too overwhelmed or emotional. This wasn’t something he was used to experiencing, and it was very touching to him. Finally, he nodded in acceptance.

“Alright… Thank you.” He said with a sigh.

“I think I feel a group hug coming on.” Toriel said with a smile. Alex rolled his eyes a bit.

“Oh boy.”

“Let’s get this over with then.” Undyne said with a chuckle, leading the way as everyone gathered around in a group hug of massive support.

“Thanks again. I guess I did need this, ‘cause I do feel much better.” Alex said with a smile.

“See? That stubbornness doesn’t always get you ahead, you know!” Papyrus lectured him.

“Yeah, you tell him, Pap.” Jasmine agreed with a chuckle, kissing his cheek.

“Just don’t forget that we’re all here for you just as you’ve been here for us.” Muffet said, patting him on the arm.

“Yeah, or we’ll beat you up. Especially me. I’ll do most of the beating up.” Undyne said with a chuckle, smacking him on the back. Alex chuckled a bit.

“Got it. Well, I guess it’s back to work then?” Alex asked.

“Yeah. We gotta get going. I told my folks’ I’d only be gone for a little bit.” The monster kid said, hurrying out of the house. One by one, the others left too until it was just Papyrus and Toriel and Alex still inside.

“I strongly suggest that you keep this in mind, Alex. It’s not every day you’ll be shown this much love and care.” Toriel advised him.

“No, I don’t think I will be forgetting this anytime soon.” Alex said with a warm smile.

“This was very touching indeed. So much so I could almost shed a tear,” Papyrus said with a slight sob. “But I don’t have any tear ducts.”

“Haha, that’s okay, I’ll just imagine the tears.” Alex chuckled.

“Oh, I wish Sans could have been here too. Speaking of which, we still need to find him.” Papyrus reminded him, switching tones suddenly.

“Right, yeah. Uh, hold on one second.”

***

Alex and Papyrus sat in his car now, Papyrus and the passenger seat and Alex in the driver’s seat. Alex had his laptop opened up with the outlet plugged into the car via a converter cable.

“You know, it’s been said that the easiest way to track someone on the surface is through their cell phone. If Sans has his switched on, this app will give me the location of the phone, and by extension, him.” Alex explained as he typed a few different passwords on his laptop.

“Really? It’s that simple? Ha! Extraordinary! I don’t know why I was even worried.” Papyrus chuckled. However, once the result came up, Alex’s expression quickly grew serious.

“Woah.”

“Nyeh? What is it?”

“According to this, his phone’s at…Mount Ebott.”

“Mount Ebott. Ah, Sans probably forgot something back at the house and went to go get it…right?” Papyrus guessed. Alex exhaled a bit.

“I’m not sure,” Alex said, zooming in on the coordinates a bit. “According to this, he’s not even on the mountain, just around the base. Plus, I wouldn’t be getting his signal if he was underground. So then what are you doing down there, Sans?” Alex muttered, switching tabs.

“What’re you looking at now?” Papyrus asked curiously.

“I’m looking to see what’s around the area he’s in. I think he might be looking for something specific…but I’m not sure what,” Alex muttered, pulling up Google Maps and clicking in the general range of Sans’ location. He hummed a bit as he started to put research together.

“Looks like there’s only some dirt roads over there. Where do they lead?” Alex wondered aloud, switching tabs again and beginning to type in the location into the search bar.

“Ooh, this is quite interesting! It’s almost like you’re a detective! Alex the human, the private eye, and his equally (if not arguably more intelligent partner), the Great Papyrus!” Papyrus rambled.

“Papyrus, you’re funny, but shut up for a second. I need to pull this together… It looks like there’s an indigenous tribe not far from where he is, and some woods next to it.” Alex said with a hum.

“A tribe? A tribe of what?” Papyrus asked. Alex’s eyebrows furrowed as he scrolled through pictures of the tribe. He showed these pictures to Papyrus.

“Oh wow! Those humans look like warriors! And that one looks just Frisk!” Papyrus said in astonishment.

“Which one?!” Alex asked, turning the screen towards him again. Papyrus pointed the particular human out to him.

“That one. That one right there. See! Same haircut and everything.” Papyrus said as though it were a coincidence. However, Alex realized that there was more to this.

“I need to find Jasmine…and get a plane ticket.” Alex said…


	18. Perspectives

“Are you sure you should go, Alex? I mean, for all you know, Papyrus could be right. Maybe he just went and got something from their old house and he’s making his way back now.” Jasmine suggested, trying to reason with Alex even as they were approaching the airport.

“No, Jasmine, I checked on him again and again at different times. He’s still wandering around the base of the mountain. He’s looking for Frisk, I’m positive.” Alex said with absolute certainty.

“What makes you so sure that Sans would do something like that?” Jasmine asked.

“Because he never forgot what Frisk did. He still brings it up; he talked about it when we went for Flowey. He wants revenge, and he probably realizes now that he can finally get it.” Alex explained.

“But…Sans is a good person, how do you know he isn’t just trying to find peace like you did?” Jasmine brought up another point. Alex shook his head again.

“No, I wanna believe that, but Sans even told me that he wouldn’t be able to do something like that on his own. Frisk killed his brother, Jasmine. Do you know how hard it would be to let something go like that?” Alex argued. Jasmine sighed and shook her head.

“No, I wouldn’t…but you would, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah… That’s why I have to go.” Alex said softly.

“Yeah, you’re right. Just be careful. Bring him back safely or Papyrus will never live it down. And _you_ better get back safely too, you hear me?” Jasmine stipulated. Alex chuckled a bit.

“Yes, ma’am,” He said, giving her a kiss before getting out of the car. “I love you. And I will come back with Sans.”

“I love you too…and I know.” Jasmine said with a nod.

***

“So Sans, Alex, and Jasmine are _all_ gone?” Flowey asked Undyne, who was carrying him with her on her way to get some water.

“For now, yeah. What about it?” She asked.

“Well, you don’t find it the least bit odd that so soon after Sans disappearing the both of them leave in such a hurry?” Flowey pointed out. Undyne just shrugged.

“I’m not in charge of watching them.” She said simply.

“I’m just saying is all…” Flowey grumbled in annoyance, rolling his eyes.

“Undyne!” Papyrus called to her as he hurried over to where she was.

“Oh brother, here we go. What’s up, Papyrus?” Undyne asked as Papyrus joined her. He spoke frantically as Undyne sipped her water.

“I am very worried! I cannot help but continue to think about Sans! I fear for him, all alone and helpless over by the mountain! And now Alex has gone to make sure that he’s alright! What if he’s been hurt?!” Papyrus loudly expressed his concerns.

“Look, Papyrus…” Undyne began, rubbing her ear a bit. “You’ve got every reason to be worried, but shouting about it is not going to do anyone any favors. So pipe down!!!” Undyne shouted suddenly, making Flowey jump in surprise.

“Yes, yes… You’re quite right, and yet, my bones still rattle with anxiety… I need to wind down. Undyne, fight me!” Papyrus challenged her suddenly, getting into a fighting stance.

“What?!” Undyne exclaimed.

“A good spar would undoubtedly soothe my worries. So, let’s fight!” Papyrus demanded.

“I am _not_ fighting you right now, Papyrus. I have building work to do. Can’t you let _that_ soothe your rattling whatever?” Undyne refused, beginning to walk away.

“Never expose your backside to an enemy!” Papyrus suddenly shouted, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her into a Nelson lock.

The sudden jolt caused Undyne to lose her grip on Flowey. As she was pulled into a lock, Flowey went up into the air suddenly, flipping forward and crashing into the ground. The pot broke against the ground, leaving Flowey’s soil and roots spread across the ground.

“Papyrus, you idiot! Look what you did!” Undyne yelled at him, breaking his hold and suplexing him into the ground. She quickly turned to pick up Flowey, but then froze.

Flowey lifted his head a bit, groaning in mild pain. He turned his body, looking down at his roots and the soil. His roots began to extend, and he dug them into the ground. As they sank in, Flowey shivered a bit at the feeling of being connected with the ground again.

“Ohh.” Flowey hummed a bit.

Flowey’s sudden new feeling was interrupted by a spear sinking into the ground just by him. He shrieked in surprise, and realized that Undyne was trying to pin him to the ground.

“You’re not going anywhere, flower!” Undyne shouted, readying her spear again.

“Hold on!” Flowey exclaimed, but it was already too late. Undyne threw her spear directly at him this time.

Flowey reacted the only way he knew how; he dove down into the ground and disappeared into it all together. The spear sank into the ground where it had been. Flowey popped up again a small distance away, and it was then that he realized that he had the same abilities as before.

“Get back here now!” Undyne demanded, grabbing her spear once more and chasing after him.

“Wait, stop!” Flowey shouted back, but again he was not heard. He disappeared into the ground again and popped up down the road some.

“Whew…” Flowey sighed in relief. However, his relief was short-lived, as he now found himself in Asgore’s garden with the king standing over him.

“The flower…? How did you get free?!” Asgore asked immediately, grabbing the nearest shovel. Flowey disappeared again and reappeared.

“Are you kidding me? Come on…” Flowey growled. He looked around and saw no one around him. He took a moment to take a breather.

Being connected to the ground on the surface was quite different than in the Underground. Many elements of it were the same, but the ground was less consistent; it was damp and full of nutrients in some areas, and dry and dead in others.

It was quite odd.

Suddenly, spiders began to crawl all over him from seemingly out of nowhere. He yelped in shock, trying to shake them off. He realized that he had been found by Muffet, who had reacted about the same as Undyne and Asgore.

Once more, Flowey popped into the ground, moving as far away as he could manage with his fading energy. He popped up in a wet area on the ground, absorbing nutrients from the ground beneath him. He sighed in relief.

“If you people would just take _a moment_ instead of thinking with your weapons…!” Flowey grumbled out loud. He felt a surge of heat behind him and turned around.

“Alex leaves for one moment, and you’ve already betrayed the chance he gave you.” Toriel said in a low tone conveying her anger and disappointment. Flowey gasped, ducking down before Toriel could even attack.

With a new energy, Flowey appeared at the edge of the city, now out of the way for anyone to find him and try to attack him. Now he truly had a moment to think and process what was happening here.

Only for a moment had he been in the ground, and right away everyone was assuming that he was going to double-cross them. He couldn’t even get a word out because they were all too busy trying to kill him…

Was this what the fallen humans in the Underground _felt like?_

Suddenly, Flowey found himself in a new perspective, and he did not like what it made him feel. It was as if now, simply because of this accident, he had lost all hope of his second chance.

And yet, how was that fair? All this time he’d done as he was supposed to. He stayed in his pot, he never tried to escape, he’d even made efforts to try and do the things that those with SOULs do, and yet, all in a moment everything he’d done up until now had been uprooted.

It became clear to Flowey in that moment. He was never going to be truly forgiven. Perhaps it was because of how the others perceived him, perhaps it was because the weight of his own past misdeeds were too great to be tossed aside.

Either way, he saw that he no longer belonged here. With that now clear in his mind, Flowey disappeared into the ground…


	19. Scars & Memories

Alex stood back in the same cabin that he and Jasmine had been staying at back when all of this started; back when Alex first fell underground. The air felt strangely heavy and sinister as he stood in the living room.

He had hoped to walk in through the front door and find Sans staying inside. However, the rooms were all empty, although it was clear that Sans had been there. Some of his clothes had been thrown on the bed.

Alex let out a bit of a frustrated sigh. Now he had to decide what his next move would be. Would he wait out for Sans, or would he text him, call him and tell him that he knew what his plan was? Alex reasoned out the pros and cons of each choice.

Alex came to the conclusion that if he waited for Sans, it was possible that he would find Frisk while Alex was waiting. With that in mind, Alex decided to text Sans:

_“What are you doing by Mount Ebott?”_

Alex sat down in the rocking chair by the fireplace, waiting for an answer. It was only about a minute before his phone began to buzz. Sans was calling him back. Alex answered it, putting the phone on speaker and setting it down in his lap.

“Hello?” Alex answered.

“Hey, bud. So, the jig is up, huh?” Sans answered with a calm chuckle.

“You could say that. I found out about your flight back here; everyone, especially Papyrus, has been worried sick about you, by the way.” Alex began to scold him.

“Yeah, tell 'im that I’m sorry for that. I couldn’t say that I was leaving or else he’d try to go with me.” Sans explained. Alex exhaled a bit sharply.

“Don’t…tell me that you’re here to do what I think you’re here to do.” Alex said slowly. There was an extended pause on the other end of the phone.

“I’m sorry, kid. I know forgiveness is kinda your thing, but my SOUL just ain’t that open wide.” Sans said regretfully. Alex’s eyebrows furrowed a bit.

“Surely you know that this path only leads to one place; the same path that you’ve hated Frisk intensely for, for so long now. You’ve been holding it in a lot longer than you’ve let on. I see that now.” Alex gave his observances.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever really considered letting it go. Not that I could. The things that I saw can’t be forgotten.” Sans said surely.

“You’re forgetting who you’re talking to, Sans. I mean, more than most, I can relate to what it is that’s going through your head.” Alex said. However, Sans hummed in disagreement.

“Nah, kid. This isn’t really about you or me or even Frisk… This is about Papyrus. When he died, that was it… You don’t mess with family.”

“But he’s here with you now. Isn’t that enough?” Alex asked.

“Maybe it should be… But he’s out there right now, breathing surface air and probably laughing about what he did. There’s never gonna be peace long as I got that image in my head.” Sans said.

“Sans… I know it hurts, but if you go down the same path, I’m not just gonna hang up the phone and wait for you to come home. If you _really_ want to kill someone, you’re gonna have to go through me to do it.” Alex said firmly.

There was another long pause on the other end of the line.

“You’re a good kid, Alex, and a true friend. I’m not gonna tell you to stay out of it, because knowing you, you’re gonna try anyway. All I’ll say is this…

“I’m not gonna pull any punches just ‘cause it’s you.” Sans said before hanging up the phone.

“Alright then, Sans. Round two.” Alex muttered to himself.

Once the line clicked, Alex got up to his feet, rubbing his eyes as he pulled his laptop out again. He did another search on Sans’ phone, and then he double-checked the location of the nearest indigenous tribe that Papyrus had pointed out.

The two weren’t far from each other…

***

Sans let the phone slip back into his pocket.

Much as it hurt to have to go against Alex like this, he had already determined what he was going to do, and he’d already gone too far to turn back now. No, now he needed to stay resolved more than ever in order to finally get revenge.

He’d spent some time wandering the woods, staying hidden as he followed the path of a dirt road. He knew that if he walked alongside it long enough, he would find humans, and then it would only be a matter of time before Frisk revealed himself.

Sure enough, he began to see off in the distance some sort of collection of small huts and teepees resembling a village. He stared closer at it curiously. Off to his left, he heard the crunching of leaves and the voices of two young men walking and speaking an unfamiliar language.

Sans set his sights on them, his left eye beginning to glow. He began to trail them, staying hidden within the trees and studying them.

They were dressed in comfortable clothes for moving around, but they had paint on their face and arms. They carried spears and other hunting gear on them. They didn’t resemble Frisk too closely in any particular way, since they were older than Frisk had been.

Sans began to draw closer, whisking past them at quick enough speeds where they wouldn’t see him, but they would hear him. As they began to look around in confusion, he observed their actions: they were on guard, but not ready to attack yet.

“Hey there.” Sans said, coming up behind them.

The two young men spun around and jumped back in shock, shouting out in surprise. They yelled to each other, drawing their spears after a moment in a defensive position. Now he could see the reaction in their eyes, and now he was beginning to see Frisk.

“I’m here lookin’ for a friend. Think you fellas can help me out?” Sans asked, his hands in his coat pockets to show that he wasn’t threatening them.

The two young men spoke back and forth to each other for a minute, not letting their guard down. Then, one of them lunged forward with his spear, warning him. Sans flashed his eye at them, and a bone came up from the ground and broke through their spears.

The two men yelped in shock, stumbling backwards again. Sans, not wanting to waste too much time with these guys, now made his intentions clear.

“Show. Me. Frisk.” Sans demanded slowly. The two of them tilted their heads strangely. Sans repeated himself, and he saw some expressions of recognition now.

“F-Frisk…? Frisk?” One of them repeated. Sans nodded his head.

“Frisk. Here.” Sans gave his instructions, pointing back towards the small village, and then towards his feet.

“Frisk… Frisk…” The two of them began to say to each other in recognition, now starting to realize what Sans was asking of them.

“Go.” Sans said, pointing towards the village again. The two young men rushed back to their village, leaving their broken weapons behind. Sans stepped aside to let them go.

Now everything was beginning to fall into place…


	20. To Overcome

“Honey, please hurry inside. It’s beginning to get dark out.” Toriel called to her son as he was finishing up painting one side of her fence. He glanced up at her and smiled.

“Are you sure, Mom? There’s still a little bit of time left before the sun sets. I can get a start on the other side before I come in.” He offered. Toriel shook her head quickly.

“That’s alright, dear, thank you. Work can end a little earlier this evening. You’ve been working hard. Now come inside, please.” Toriel repeated herself. Asriel nodded, wiping his forehead with his sleeve and bringing his things inside.

“Alright. I guess one day getting off early wouldn’t hurt. Is everything alright?” Asriel asked. Toriel shook her head a bit.

“Not necessarily, dear. I know you’ve been working hard and I figured a day of extra rest would serve you well.” Toriel explained, her eyes beginning to avert as she gave her explanation. Asriel’s eyebrows furrowed a bit.

“Is something wrong?” Asriel continued to ask. Toriel hummed a bit.

“It may not be safe for you to be out so late in the evenings for now, dear.” She responded.

“Why not? Is the protestors again? Did they come back?” Asriel asked quickly. Toriel shook her head, motioning for him to follow her into the kitchen.

“No, dear, they haven’t. It’s something worse, I’m afraid.” Toriel said, sitting with him at the kitchen table. Asriel’s frown grew deeper with concern.

“Why? What happened?” He demanded an answer. Toriel sighed, knowing she couldn’t keep the answer from him any longer.

“I’m afraid that Flowey has escaped somehow. He’s rooted himself into the grounds of the surface now and has been roaming free for the past two days.” She finally told him. Asriel’s eyes widened a bit.

“What? Really? Where’d he go then? Why haven’t we seen him?” He asked.

“Because he ran off, dear. As soon as we became aware that he had escaped, we attempted to subdue him, but he was too fast.” Toriel explained. Asriel shook his head a bit.

“That…doesn’t sound right. I thought Flowey wasn’t like that anymore.” Asriel said.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that has proven not to be the case.” Toriel said in an unfortunate tone. Asriel silently nodded, pondering this.

“For the meantime, I ask that you stay inside during these later hours of the day until we figure out where he’s gone and he’s been dealt with. Okay?” Toriel requested.

“Sure.” He agreed.

“Thank you, my child. Now, I know you must be tired. Go ahead and freshen up. Our new kitchen appliances should be working now. I’m going to try them out.” Toriel said, managing a smile.

***

Nighttime fell over New Monster City. Monsters had retired for the night, and only the sounds of crickets chirping and wind howling filled the crisp chilly air. Stars were shining, only a few occasional clouds hung overhead, slowly passing over as the half moon cast its pale light downwards.

Asriel laid on his mattress, staring up at the wall. Lying on his back with his hands folded over his stomach, he could see a little bit out of his window the stars above. Normally, he wouldn’t be comfortable in the darkness and the silence, but his thoughts were noisy enough to make up for it.

It didn’t seem right to him, the picture that his Mom had painted in his head; what had happened with Flowey escaping. Surely, the changes he had undergone weren’t just an act this whole time, were they? Not even Flowey could pull off such a convincing act.

Tossing his blankets off of him, he quietly snuck to his closet and grabbed himself a jacket and slippers that Alex had given him. He cracked the door open slowly and made his way downstairs, keeping careful with every step.

Soon he was out the front door with a flower pot and a trowel in hands. If Flowey were still around, this would be his opportunity to show what his true intentions were. Asriel fully realized that this meant that he was exposed and vulnerable…

But he had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t going to be a concern.

“Flowey…? Flowey, it’s me, Asriel. Are you here?” Asriel called out to him, taking several steps away from the city. Just as he was on the verge of getting ready to turn back, a voice called back to him in the dark.

“Kid?” Flowey’s voice said in surprise. Asriel caught sight of his figure in the dark, looking up at him in surprise. Asriel set his things down and lowered himself to one knee.

“Hey. What’re you doing out here in the cold?” Asriel asked, managing a shivering chuckle. Flowey sighed a bit, rolling his eyes.

“What’re you doing out here? Obviously, you already know what happened.” Flowey questioned him. Asriel nodded.

“Yeah, I heard what happened, and I don’t believe that you just up and switched back to your old ways that fast. It didn’t sound right to me, so I wanted to hear your side of the story.” Asriel explained.

“Well, that’s more than what everyone else has done. I could barely get a word out before I almost got killed again and again.” Flowey grumbled angrily.

“The whole ‘kill or be killed’ doesn’t quite feel so great when you’re on the weaker side of the spectrum, does it?” Asriel said, his mouth tugging to one side.

“Har dee har har. You know, I _really was_ trying to do my best to change, because Alex was right, I was actually starting to feel pretty good about how things were going. I mean, it was boring, but at the very least I could be fulfilled without having to lose something.

“And then this happened. Mind you, this wasn’t even _my fault,_ and now I’ve lost out on any chance I had of the opportunity I’d been given. Within a second, everyone assumed I was betraying them and tried to kill me for it.” Flowey explained, sounding more hurt than angry now.

“I’m sorry, Flowey… I really am. There really isn’t any way to justify it. That’s the hardest part about forgiveness… It takes time, and sometimes you find yourself being judged for the things you’re trying to get past.” Asriel said in understanding.

“Yeah… Yeah, right, exactly… What would you know about that?” Flowey asked with a raised eyebrow. Asriel tilted his head a bit.

“Not exactly a whole lot, but I know that whenever my parents or other monsters treat me a certain kind of way, it bothers me. They seem to think I’m still a defenseless little kid who’s too innocent for his own good, and I _used_ to be that way…

“But if there’s anything that I’ve learned since we were set free, it’s that past, the present, and the future are all three separate things; they’re all connected, but only one has an effect on the other. You can’t change the past, but what you do in the present determines your future.”

“Yeah…mmm, but what am I supposed to do now? I can’t go back there now. They’ll attack me again.” Flowey pointed out.

“That’s why I’m here. To protect you.” Asriel said, setting the flower pot down on the ground. Flowey eyed it and sighed a bit heavily.

“You know, kid, I understand what you’re trying to do, but maybe I’m just too far gone for that… Who’s to say they aren’t right? Maybe I haven’t really changed that much.” Flowey muttered sadly.

“You think I’d be out here with you now if that were true?” Asriel asked.

Flowey exhaled heavily again, not responding.

“I know you’re trying to do the right thing. It’s gonna take time for you to convince everyone of that, but you’ve already convinced me. If they try to attack you again, they’re gonna have to get through me first.

“We both have something that we need to overcome, you know. You’ve already heard how things are with my family. I have to deal with it every day, just like every day you’re gonna have to keep showing your true intentions.

“I think what you need right now is a friend; someone who gets what you’re going through and is gonna stand by your side. And since Alex isn’t here, you’re just gonna have to deal with me for a bit longer.” Asriel said with a smile. Flowey chuckled a bit.

“You know what? That doesn’t sound half bad… Mind if I crash with you tonight then? It’s warmer indoors.” Flowey asked. Asriel nodded in agreement.

“Sure. We’ll sort everything out in the morning.” Asriel said, grabbing his trowel again and getting ready to dig into the ground.

“Asriel?” Flowey said suddenly, stopping him.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you… I don’t really have anything else to say. Just…thank you.” Flowey said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.” Asriel replied kindly, patting him a bit before digging into the ground again…


	21. A Battle of Determination

Nighttime came over Mount Ebott, bringing along an overcast of thick storm clouds. Looking up at the clouds swirling overhead, lightning flashed and thunder crackled, echoing across the forest. Sans looked forward again, keeping his eyes firmly fixated ahead of him.

Finally, a figure began to rise over the hill. Sans took a breath as he stepped forward, coming under the moonlight. Finally, Sans came face to face with Frisk. He was dressed in a green sweater and black jacket with jeans, carrying a knife in his right hand.

“Hey, kid. You’ve gotten taller, huh?” Sans said.

Frisk didn’t respond verbally. He tilted his head a bit, peering at him with a sigh. Sans’ eye began to glow, putting him on guard.

“Still got nothing to say for yourself, huh? That’s fine. We don’t need to talk much. We’re past that anyways.” Sans said, lifting his hand up in battle position. Frisk lifted up his knife.

“Sans!” Alex shouted, rushing over and reaching them. He saw Frisk and Sans ready to battle, and he took two steps forward to get their attention.

“Get out of here, Alex. This doesn’t concern you.” Sans said firmly.

“I told you what would happen if you went down this road.” Alex reminded him.

“Don’t make me fight you too.” Sans said, almost pleading with him. Frisk looked back and forth between them in confusion.

“That’s your choice, Sans.” Alex said, clenching his fists in preparation for a fight. Sans sighed and shook his head.

“Alright. I warned ya.”

Sans’ eye suddenly flickered, and a bone shot out at Alex. Alex quickly ducked to the side. Frisk, seeing that Alex and Sans were on opposing sides, immediately ran towards Sans, rushing to stab him with his knife.

Sans dodged to the side, bringing the same bone back and shooting it at the back of Frisk’s head. Frisk, as if knowing this trick, turned and batted the bone away, turning again smoothly and attempting to thrust his knife into the side of Sans’ head.

Sans ducked under it, stepping back quickly and making a wall of bones rise in front of Frisk. Alex rushed towards him in this moment, trying to grab him. Sans made another bone rise to trip him. Alex jumped over it, smacking his shoulder into Sans.

Sans stumbled back in surprise, and Frisk jumped in at this moment to take advantage. Stepping around the bones, he lunged at Sans again. Alex, seeing this, grabbed Frisk’s arm and flipped him over his shoulder, making him crash onto his back on the ground.

“You’re making a mistake!” Sans shouted, throwing several more bones at Alex. Alex jumped to the side, and one hit him in the knee, making him fall to one knee with a yelp of pain.

Frisk suddenly got up to his feet, lunging at Sans several more times. Sans skillfully sidestepped each attack, waiting for his chance to counterattack. Frisk took a moment to pause and catch his breath, and Sans lifted his hand to deal a damaging strike.

However, Alex quickly stepped in, grabbing his arm and hitting him in the face with his elbow. Sans fell back in shock with a grunt of pain, down for the moment. As Frisk stepped forward again, Alex stood between him and Sans, blocking the way.

As Frisk and Alex’s eyes met, rain began to fall from above, picking up gradually. Frisk, knife still in hand, now began to realize that Alex was no less against him than he was against Sans. To put it bluntly, he’d have to get through Alex to finish Sans.

Frisk stepped towards Alex, choosing to throw a punch instead of stabbing him. Alex ducked under it, kneeing him in the stomach. Grabbing his wrist and kicking him to the ground, Alex tried to force the knife out of Frisk’s hand.

Alex suddenly saw Sans coming up behind Frisk with a bone in hand. Alex pushed Frisk down, stepping over and grabbing the bone. Sans attempted to throw off Alex’s by pushing him sideways. This instead allowed Frisk to step in, knife aimed right for Sans’ face.

Sans caught it first, grabbing Frisk by the arm. Seeing this, Alex tossed the bone aside and reinforced Sans’ hold, pushing against his arm. Frisk, pushing against them, turned his head towards Alex as though viewing an enemy.

Twisting the knife with his fingers, Frisk changed trajectory and aimed for Alex, pushing his arm sideways suddenly. Alex brought up his arm to block it. Sans summoned another bone, swinging it like a bat into Frisk’s side. This allowed Alex to force him to the ground.

Lightning suddenly struck, hitting a tree not far from them. As it began to topple towards them, Sans stepped back immediately. Alex quickly grabbed Frisk by the foot, dragging him out of the way. The tree crashed down loudly, splashing water everywhere.

Frisk gasped, looking at the tree, and then at Alex in confusion. Alex panted a bit, jumping over the tree where Sans was standing. He had put on his hoodie, and had summoned his Gaster Blaster. Alex froze in place.

“You’re really pissing me off, Alex!” Sans growled.

“You gonna shoot me, Sans?” Alex asked, spreading his arms out. Sans hesitated, flinching suddenly.

He shot his Blaster past Alex at Frisk, who ducked behind the tree trunk. Alex quickly rushed forward, grabbing onto the Blaster and attempted to pull it away from Frisk. Sans shook him off, firing several more blasts at the tree trunk.

Alex rushed at Sans again, pushing him to the ground. Sans stumbled, and the Blaster fell to the ground as well. As Alex stood over Sans, Frisk came out of his hiding place once more, but rushed for Alex instead of Sans.

“Come on man.” Alex huffed tiredly, readying himself as Frisk came for him.

Frisk now used his knife to attack Alex. He jumped back twice to dodge it. The third time, Alex put Frisk into a headlock, finally kicking the knife out of Frisk’s hand. Frisk struggled a bit before elbowing Alex in the ribs, forcing him to let go.

Sans, summoning his Blaster again, pointed it at them. Frisk and Alex both glanced at each other before rushing in opposite directions. Sans’ blasts followed Frisk, allowing Alex a moment to think. He glanced at Frisk’s knife, and made a split second decision.

Alex rushed back, picking up Frisk’s knife out of the mud. Sans turned for a moment, but was unable to react in time as Alex threw the knife directly at the Gaster Blaster, causing in to crack and break. It crashed to the ground and sank underneath, now useless.

Sans growled in anger, throwing another bone at Alex. Frisk stepped in front of him suddenly and caught it, throwing it back at Sans. Not expecting this, Sans stepped sideways and stumbled over the toppled tree trunk.

Frisk quickly rushed at Sans with Alex close behind him. Frisk jumped on the tree trunk and kicked Sans in the head. Alex quickly took out Frisk’s legs, causing him to fall hard on his side. Frisk slipped off the tree trunk, not getting up quickly as he clutched his side.

Sans pushed himself to his feet with a slight falter in his step, summoning one more sharp bone into his hand. Alex, who was exhausted, had barely any energy left in him to stop him.

“Don’t, Sans.” Alex panted.

“It’s too late, kid. This is how it needs to end.” Sans said, standing over Frisk finally. As Frisk began to back up, Sans went for his finishing blow.

Alex, however, had managed to grab a bone laying on the ground, and batted Sans in the back of the head. Sans fell to the ground instantly, knocked out. Frisk pushed Sans off of him so that he was on his back, readying his knife.

“No you don’t.” Alex said quickly, hitting Frisk in the shoulder.

Frisk stumbled back a bit in surprise, looking towards Sans and seeing his opportunity to end the fight. However, Alex continued to hit him with the bone, batting him back. Frisk finally fell to one knee, unable to fight back.

Alex, with one swift blow to the side of the head, ended the fight at last. As Frisk fell facedown to the ground, knocked out, Alex immediately tossed the bone aside. He fell to his knees in exhaustion, removing his jacket as the rain continued to wash over him.

Now that the fight was over, Alex needed to figure out his next move. Looking around for a moment, he saw the village that Frisk had come from, and decided to go there. So, mustering up what strength he had left, he got to his feet.

He made his way towards Frisk, kneeling down to get his face out of the mud. He scooped his arms under his legs and then his head, pulling his body to his chest as he slowly began to stand. He then turned, walked past where Sans lay, and began to make his way towards the village…


	22. Peace

As light poured over Sans’ eyes, he covered them with his hands, groaning a bit. He sat up a bit, realizing that he was waking up. He looked around and found himself lying back in a small little bed made of sheets and blankets.

Alex sat on the ground by him with his phone in hand.

“Hey.” Alex greeted him with a nod once he looked awake. Sans looked at him with some confusion, no understanding what was going on.

“Hey… Where are we?” Sans asked.

“We’re in a small little hut right now. Frisk’s tribe.” Alex answered simply. Sans’ expression darkened a bit in further confusion.

“You’re kidding…” Sans said, unsure of what else to say. Alex nodded again, glancing at the door.

“Yeah. I’ve made some discoveries since last night, and if you’re willing to not try and kill for a few minutes, I think you’ll want to hear this.” Alex said. Sans took a slow breath before getting up.

“Alright. Lead the way then.” He finally agreed.

Alex and Sans walked out of the hut and out into the village. It was a clear blue sky morning. Men and women were walking up and down the dirt roads carrying their things, and children were playing in the clearings between the houses.

“Native spot. Looks cozy.” Sans commented.

“They call it ‘The Skyward Path’. That’s the translation of the name, at least.” Alex explained as they made their way down the road, walking the opposite direction of most of the natives.

“What is it that you want to show me?” Sans asked.

“Hold on, we’re almost there.” Alex said, holding his finger up.

They finally approached a large tepee standing slightly separated from the other settlements. It was decorated in several bright colors. Alex led Sans inside, and there they found Frisk sitting cross-legged on the ground, waiting for them.

Sans froze up in surprise, not expecting to see him again. However, Alex quickly motioned for Sans to pause and sit down. In silence, he sat across from Frisk, with Alex sitting in his own spot equidistant from the two of them.

Alex took his phone out again, scrolling through it for a moment. He tapped it, and began to speak into it:

“I apologize for the wait. We’re here now, and he’s ready to talk.” Alex said into the phone, holding it out for Frisk to hear. What sounded like gibberish was relayed to Frisk, and he nodded in understanding.

“What is this?” Sans asked, not understanding.

“Say something, please.” Alex said. The phone relayed gibberish to Frisk.

For the first time ever, Sans heard Frisk spoke. It was something incoherent, but his voice, low and soft, relayed the brief yet cryptic message smoothly. Alex held the phone towards Sans now, and it spoke:

_“Hello, skeleton.”_

“It took you a phone and this long just to give me a real greeting?” Sans said bitterly.

“Sans, it’s a translator. I didn’t realize it ‘til I got here that the reason he doesn’t respond is because he’s not understanding what we’re saying in English. Watch,” Alex demonstrated by speaking into the phone again.

“He says that it has been a long time since he has last seen you.” Alex said into the phone. Frisk listened to the translation, responding back slowly.

_“I never thought that I would see you again, truthfully.”_

“You’re kidding me.” Sans said almost in disbelief.

“There are many questions that he would like to ask you.” Alex said into the phone. Frisk, after listening, spoke at length for a few moments.

_“Seeing that you are here, and now knowing that it was a communication barrier that separated us, I see that now is a proper time to clear matters up, now that this language barrier has been broken. Please, speak your mind, Sans.”_

It was odd to hear Frisk say his name for the first time. Sans picked it out because it was the last word that he had spoken. Immediately, he could feel the atmosphere beginning to shift, and now they were able to speak and understand each other.

“Ahem, well you can start by explaining what possessed you to murder everyone.” Sans started abruptly. The phone relayed the translation to Frisk, whose eyebrows furrowed upon hearing it.

After some time, Frisk gathered his thoughts and explained himself:

_“When I was younger, my father told me a legend of a world of fierce creatures roiling below the surface of the Earth; a world where the only light of the sun came from its exit, and where the only possible escape was a life for a life…_

_“When I fell into your world, the Underground, I was certain that I had found the legend, but I knew that I was in great danger at all times. Being down there was much like living in a ghost story, and I was all but certain that I would become another tale…_

_“The only true explanation that I could give you was that I was determined to survive. Yes, I refused to die, and as I encountered monster after monster, it became clear to me that either I was going to be killed, or I would have to learn how to kill…_

_“I took little pleasure in your deaths, Sans, and now knowing that there was more to each of you than what I knew fills me with sadness and regret. But you have come back somehow, and you have left your prison.”_

“When Alex fell here, everything reset itself, as if it never happened. But some still remember.” Sans said to Frisk. He nodded thoughtfully.

 _“Are you happy now that you are free?”_ Frisk asked.

“Uh… I mean… Yeah.” Sans answered awkwardly.

_“I have often wondered what words you were trying to speak to me those many days ago. Though I found my freedom physically, I was kept captive when I thought back to the many things spoken that might as well have fallen on deaf ears…_

_“Perhaps had things been different… If we had understood each other then, we might’ve come to an understanding. Seeing you here now in front of me shows me that even the biggest mistakes can be undone miraculously…_

_“I can hardly imagine what you’ve had to endure because of what I’ve done, you and the many creatures that I slaughtered then. I thought that you were all evil as a child, but I look back at my actions and realize that I was truly the evil one…_

_“I can’t expect you to forgive me for anything, nor would I ask that of you. But I hope that you are finding happiness on your new path, and I wish peace upon you in your life.”_

Once the phone had finished speaking Frisk’s words, Frisk leaned forward a bit and extended his hand to Sans. Sans looked down at it, his expressions of anger and bitterness breaking as he contemplated everything he’d just heard.

Sans reached his hand out and grasped Frisk’s hand, shaking it.

**_PPHBTT…_ **

Alex and Frisk both looked at Sans strangely. He brought his hand back, revealing the joy buzzer attached to his palm that had just emitted a fart noise. Seeing their faces, Sans couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, even amidst the strong emotional tension.

“Sorry, kid. Couldn’t help myself. I guess with all things considered… I can bring myself to say that I forgive you. Maybe that’ll help us both get some peace.” Sans said.

Frisk smiled a bit and nodded in agreement…


	23. Aspirations

“I feel kinda stupid now, going through all this trouble for something I was holdin’ against Frisk.” Sans admitted as Alex pulled the car up to New Monster City.

“It was kinda overkill, yeah, but at least things worked out. How do you feel about it now? You haven’t really said much about it since we left.” Alex asked. Sans nodded a bit.

“Yeah, it’s a lot to process. But he wasn’t who I thought he was, and I hope that we can both one day put things behind us. Yeah, things could’ve been different, but I’m happy with how things are now anyways, so I’mma focus on that.” Sans decided.

“Aww, Sans.” Alex cooed a bit, patting his shoulder. Sans swatted his hand off and got out of the car quickly.

“Don’t push it, kid. You still broke my blaster thing.” Sans pointed out.

“Brother! Alex! You have returned!” Papyrus exclaimed joyfully, rushing towards them. He scooped up Sans in a big hug.

“Oof! Hey, bro. You weren’t worried about me, were ya? I just went to get some groceries.” Sans said with a chuckle.

“I was quite worried, thank you very much! And I don’t see any groceries!” Papyrus said, looking into the car. Sans chuckled a bit.

“Heheh, yeah, it was a long way back here.”

“Sans!!!” Papyrus exclaimed disapprovingly. Alex chuckled and rolled his eyes a bit.

“Did you hold things down here while we were gone?” Alex asked him.

“Yes, I did indeed! Mostly, there was a particular incident with Flowey escaping…”

“What?!” Sans and Alex both exclaimed.

“But it’s alright! Prince Asriel managed to lure him back into his pot like catching a bird in a cage! A bird with petals! Erm… You know what I mean!”

“Really? Asriel took care of it, huh?” Alex said with an impressed hum.

“Yes, well, as it turns out, Flowey willingly returned, and Asriel played the part of explaining things to the rest of us who didn’t trust him… Accidents happen, you know?” Papyrus chuckled nervously.

“Wow, that’s awesome. I’mma have to see him after I talk to Jasmine.” Alex said, beginning to make his way into the city.

“Oh, she’s unavailable right now! She’s speaking to the news crew right now.” Papyrus informed him. Alex’s eyes widened in surprise.

“News crew?!” Alex began to rush into the city, looking for any evidence of a news crew.

Sure enough, he found a camera crew interviewing Jasmine, who was standing next to a gentleman with a microphone in his hand. Alex began to make his way over, brushing past several monsters who were watching curiously.

“Overall, I really hope that soon monsters will be comfortable going anywhere in the world. Oh, Alex!” Jasmine exclaimed, seeing him and immediately rushing to him to hug him and kiss him. Alex returned her excited greeting.

“What’s going on here?” He asked as he let her go.

“These guys are here to cover the New Monster City. They’re going to broadcast all over the country. They’ve already interviewed a ton of other monsters.” Jasmine explained quickly.

“Yes, sir. You must be Alex, the man who originally found the monster race underground, are you not? Care to speak with us for a few minutes?” The man requested.

“Uh, I-I got a few things I need to take care of first, but then I’ll gladly sit down with you.” Alex answered.

***

“Hurry up and bring the popcorn over! It’s gonna start in a minute!” Undyne shouted to Alex and Jasmine in the kitchen, who were getting things ready for everyone else who was waiting in the living room.

A week had passed since the news crew came, and now what they had covered was getting ready to air on TV. Alex and Jasmine decided to have a big viewing part for it: Asriel, Muffet, Flowey, Toriel, Asgore, Mettaton, Napstablook, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne, Temmie, and even the monster kid were all in attendance.

“If you wanted it here faster, fish girl, than you should’ve helped!” Alex shouted back, coming in with two bowls of popcorn.

“You better watch your mouth.” Undyne pointed at him.

“Quiet! It’s starting!” Papyrus exclaimed as everyone took their seats and hushed up.

“A new city with a new race. Tonight, we take you into New Monster City, the agreed upon immigrant city for monsters who were previously living underneath a mountain in South America. Our correspondent, Mike Schultz, gives the story.” The anchor of the program announced.

“This little construction site that you see here behind me,” Mike narrated, gesturing behind him as it cut to him just outside the site. “Is a little town called New Monster City, where you’ll find a colorful variety of different creatures: skeletons, spiders, and even a talking flower.”

“That’s me!” Flowey exclaimed. Asriel quickly shushed him.

“All of these monsters have been working together for weeks to build their new homes. Yes, they’ve been working tirelessly ever since the U.N. panel agreed to let them build their new home within the United States.” Mike continued.

The picture now cut to show Asgore speaking as though giving an interview.

“Yes, well, peace is something that we as a race have been hoping and dreaming for, for such a long time. I think now more than ever, we’re all motivated to grow and to prosper, and just seeing the sun rising over us again is truly a privilege.” Asgore said with a smile.

“Well said!” Alphys said in approval.

“When you look past all the strange faces and odd personalities here, you find a simple town filled with monsters that aren’t much unlike you and me.” Mike commented before the segment cut to show Toriel.

“History isn’t really something we’re too concerned with right now. For me, what’s most important to me is seeing my son succeed and grow. Here on the surface, I hope that he, as well as the rest of us, find our places.” She said with a thoughtful and polite smile.

“Aww.” The monster kid cooed and grinned.

“I can’t say I’ve really thought about what I’m gonna do out here on the surface,” Flowey, who was now on camera said. “I guess, if anything, I’d just like to see the sights. There’s a whole world out here, and it seems pretty neat.”

“Way to be on your best behavior, Flowey.” Alex complimented with a chuckle.

“Shut up.”

“I intend to be the greatest chef this world has ever seen!” Papyrus declared onscreen, “At least, the greatest skeleton chef if nothing else!” He added.

“Down in the Underground, I was a huge star,” Mettaton explained as Napstablook hovered next to him onscreen. “So it only makes sense that the same will be true here on the surface. And I’ll be alongside my best friend, Napstablook, as he makes his own music!”

“This is really cool.” Napstablook said quietly.

“When I attended my first college classes here on the surface, I was worried that my awkwardness would make me stand out and I wouldn’t make friends. Turns out, my awkwardness is still there, but things didn’t turn out so bad. I’m eager to learn more up here!” Alphys said on camera with a smile.

“Tem get job! Tem werkz at bank! Make munz! Yah yah!”

“It can be a little overwhelming at first, coming here and seeing all these crazy looking faces. But if you really take the time to get to know the different people here, you know that by the time you leave, you’ll made several new worthwhile friends.” Jasmine commented with a smile.

“After going around meeting some of the different residents of this new city, I sat down with Alex, the man originally credited with discovering this new race living underneath the ground. I sat down with him for a little bit before leaving,” Mike narrated before the camera showed the two of them sitting down.

“For the sake of time, the entire interview won’t be shown tonight, but I asked Alex to give me his thoughts on how he felt overall about the residents of New Monster City. He had this to say.” Mike set the stage for Alex to speak.

“I think that they’re wonderful, really. They’re a lot like humans in a lot of ways, and they’re also different in a lot of ways. They’re very outgoing and passionate, very open and communicative. They have a lot to share in a bunch of different areas.

“I agreed to advocate for them because…well, I saw myself in them. They became my friends when that wasn’t even my concern, and they helped me to find a better version of myself little by little. They’ve become part of my support group in a valuable way.

“Uhh… You know, I hope that one day people everywhere will get to see what I’m talking about when they meet some of these guys for themselves, because as much as they have to learn, they have a few things that they can teach us too.” Alex concluded with a smile and a thoughtful nod.


	24. ? ? ?

"Thanks for your help. This would’ve taken a lot longer on my own.” Sans said as he and Alex carried boxes into the house that he and Papyrus were living in.

“No problem, man. Hey, the house is really coming together! It almost looks just like you’re old one now.” Alex observed with a chuckle, looking around.

“Heheh, what can I say, just ‘cause we’re moving doesn’t mean we can’t still have home sweet home, right?” Sans said with a smile.

“Yeah, I gotcha. I’m sure many new memories and arguments will be made right here.” Alex said, gesturing outwardly.

“That’s what home is all about.” Sans said with a laugh, sliding his boxes by the couch.

“Hey, where’s Papyrus? Couldn’t he have helped out?” Alex asked.

“He’s helping out Mettaton and Napstablook. You know, specter hands on real cardboard? Doesn’t really work.” Sans explained.

“I guess that makes sense…?” Alex said a bit absently.

“Hey, I actually wanted to show you something.” Sans said, gesturing for Alex to follow him upstairs. Alex raised his eyebrow a bit.

“You got some kind of prank ready for me, don’t you?” Alex asked.

“Heheh, not this time, although, I’m still working one out. Nah, this is more important than that.” Sans explained, leading Alex into his room. They made their way to his closet.

“Your room? It’s a nice space.” Alex commented approvingly.

“Nah, take a look.” Sans said, gesturing forward. Alex looked into the closet.

Inside, there was a shelf set up. It was a simple set up. However, then Alex noticed a strange rectangular set up of wooden beams imposed into wall. Looking closer, Alex saw that it resembled a door frame in the wall, but there was no door.

“What the heck is this?” Alex asked, running his finger on it.

“It’s a door frame stuck in a wall.” Sans answered with a chuckle.

“Why on earth did you do that? Why would someone do that?” Alex asked absently. Sans chuckled a bit and began to explain.

“When you get around as much as I have, you get to learn about these doors. Doors can lead to all sorts of places. I a- ** _door_** them.” Sans said with a chuckle.

“You brought me all the way up here for a pun, I knew it!” Alex shouted loudly. Sans laughed.

“Haha, no, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity.” Sans grinned.

“Typical,” Alex rolled his eyes. “I walked right into it too. Or right through it, I should say.”

“Haha, not bad. But in all seriousness, I snagged this doorframe from my old closet and brought it here. I don’t know where it really leads; the door has never revealed itself…

“If one day the door ever shows itself, I want you to be the one who goes through it.” Sans said suddenly. Alex glanced at him.

“Why me?”

“Well, not to put you on a pedestal or anything, but you’ve got a good grip on things. You’ve got a good heart, kid, and that’s a rare thing. If that door ever opens, that probably just means they could use someone like you.”

“Wow… That’s…actually really nice…strangely.” Alex said with a chuckle.

“Don’t let it go to your head. It’s just a doorframe.” Sans said, patting Alex on the arm and leaving the room. Alex eyed the frame for a minute before following Sans out…

**Coming Soon…**

**Undertale 4: Empathy**


End file.
